2023 NBA Draft Roundtable: Grading the Nick Smith Jr Pick

Our staff provides their grades for the Hornets' selection of Nick Smith Jr with the 27th pick.

The Hornets have brought in Nick Smith Jr with the 27th overall pick in the NBA Draft. Check out below how our staff has graded the pick on draft night.

Jon Yeager: A-

Nick Smith has all of the tools to be a tremendous three level scorer at the NBA level. He dealt with injuries and inconsistency at Arkansas, but he competes hard and really cares about the game and his teammates. There is huge upside with this pick if he regains his high school form and puts on some functional strength. I love this swing for the Hornets.

Eric Barnes: A-

Nick Smith was the number 1 overall recruit out of high school. He is wiry 6’5 shot creator with intriguing upside if he can continue to work and grow his game. Great value selection at this point in the draft.

Matt Alquiza: B+

Smith is a fun player. His scoring ability at all three levels should translate day one. Injuries limited his effectiveness at Arkansas, and you have to wonder if he would have gone higher without them. If he returns to his high school form, Smith Jr. could be the steal of the draft.

Schuyler Callihan: B+

If it weren’t for injuries, I firmly believe Smith would have been a lottery pick. He shoots it much better than the 33% from three would indicate. He will probably see a lot of time in Greensboro as a rookie with the chance to crack the rotation in a year or two.

Ian Black: B-

Smith Jr. is a microwave player with a slippery play style. Whether operating on-ball or as a cutter, the man knows how to get the ball in the bucket. With that said, his shot selection is one thing that needs major improvement before he can see an NBA court. The second is that his play strength is abysmal at this time. There’s definitely a role for him in this league, it just might be a bit before we get the chance to see that.

Austin Leake: B+

Smith Jr is a player that should excite Hornets fans. He’s a great creator as he can score the ball in a lot of different ways. It will be interesting to see his role with the Hornets and Greensboro next season, but overall a nice play at 27.

Nicholas Mullick: B

I would rather have Rayan Rupert here as I felt he was the best swing man on the board, but Nick Smith is a fine choice to make as well. Nice scoring ability and can create opportunities as well for the team. I do worry about his durability as Smith has dealt with a ton of injuries, but he has potential. I expect him to be stashed on the Greensboro Swarm for a few years. This is fair value so, I can't complain much here.

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