NBA Draft Scouting Report: NC State’s Terquavion Smith

Scouting Report: Terquavion Smith

Contents

1. Prospect Profile
2. Highlights 
3. Draft Projection 
4. 2023 Big Board 

Terquavion Smith

Guard | NC State 

Height: 6’3” | Weight: 165 lbs 

2023 Draft Age: 20.47 

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Prospect Profile

There’s quite a few players in this upcoming class that will have more than one season of college experience. Among the best in that category is Smith. He will still be 20 on draft night, meaning he’s not as old as some of the other prospects that will have played multiple seasons at the college level. While Smith entered the 2022 NBA Draft and would have been selected, he opted to return to NC State for one more season.

He didn't have the massive spike in production we had hoped for, but did improve and will still get first-round consideration this time around again.

A smaller guard, the main concern with Smith is his defensive ability. With his light frame, will he be a liability at the next level? At the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, he weighed in as the lightest player at the entire event. While he isn’t a good defender right now, he is pesky on that end and generates a good number of steals.

The 3-point shot for Smith should be something NBA teams are excited about. He has legitimate range and projects to be a quality shooter at the professional level. He's also got one of the better midrange games in the country.

With that in mind, Smith is more of a volume scorer at this point. He needs the ball in his hands and a bulk of the offensive load to produce at a high level. Whether or not he can be an impactful player without taking a high number of shots will be interesting moving forward. He won't have the same green light he has now early in his NBA career. It's worth noting his efficiency from both inside and outside of the arc declined slightly as a sophomore.

Being a volume shooter, the shot selection for Smith is sometimes questionable. He does knock down tough looks, but in general he needs to work on generating better shots.

The NBA is an isolation game, which is something Smith is great at. He’s a crafty shot creator that can get a bucket when the team needs it. Again, it comes down to the quality of shots he takes.

An extremely quick and shifty guard, Smith could end up being a sixth man at the next level that can score in bunches. He’s not a great rebounder or elite passer, but scoring comes natural. When getting to the paint, he does have the ability to get well above the rim and throw it down. The body control for Smith is great, which does help combat his skinny frame.

The intangibles are there with Smith as well. He plays with a ton of confidence and a chip on his shoulder at all times. 

Highlights 

Draft Projection 

Mid to Late First-Round Pick in 2023 NBA Draft.

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2023 Big Board 

Want to know more about other potential 2023 NBA Draft prospects and where they might get selected? Check out our Draft Digest Pro Big Board.

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