Tyler Smith 2024 NBA Draft Profile
We are nearly two weeks away from the start of the 2024 NBA Draft. To continue our draft profile series, we will be looking at G-League Ignite forward Tyler Smith, who was one of their most consistent players last year. Let’s dive into it, shall we?
Height: 6’9″ (7’1″ wingspan, 8’9″ standing reach)
Weight: 223.8 lbs
Draft age: 19.6
Position: Big Wing
Smith was a five-star recruit out of Fort Bend Bush High School in Richmond, Texas. He received offers to play at Kansas, Houston, Baylor, Arkansas, Auburn, Memphis and LSU, among others, per 247Sports.
Though Smith decided to go the professional route, instead. He signed with Overtime Elite in August of 2021. He averaged 15.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.3 blocks, shooting 47.5 percent from the floor and 72.1 percent from the free-throw line with OTE. He then joined the G-League Ignite program ahead of the 2023-24 season, where he spent most of the season coming off the bench behind Izan Almansa and Matas Buzelis.
Smith was still a top-5 scorer on the team averaging 13.4 points on 47.6 percent shooting, including 36.4 percent from 3-point range and 72.5 percent from the free-throw line. He also hauled in five boards with 0.7 steals and one block across 22.0 minutes.
Let’s dive into some of his strengths and weaknesses, shall we?
Strengths:
Smith has an intriguing blend of size and positional versatility, even though I still classify him as a “big wing” due to his slim frame at 6-foot-10.
One thing that immediately pops off the page is that Smith is 1.) very mobile and 2.) quite athletic. At the 2024 NBA Draft Combine, he posted a 32.0-inch standing vertical and a 38.0-inch max vertical, which were No. 2 and 4 amongst the 14 power forwards who tested. He also tested with the fastest lane agility time and the fourth-highest shuttle run.
One thing that Smith did well was play above the rim with the G-League Ignite. With the right team, he could be a potent lob threat and a dump-off hub in the dunker spot/short corner. He’s got good hands and good mobility when rolling to the rim–two key aspects (especially the former) when you’re looking at near 7-foot players.
His shooting stroke from the perimeter is fluid too.
He improved to 36.4 percent from long-range with G-League Ignite after being a sub-30.0 percent with OTE. I think that could carry over to the NBA level. He wasn’t overly unpredictable when it came to either rolling or popping out of screens, but he’s a player who is a mid-30s 3-point threat at the next level.
Smith showed he could attack closeouts with his long strides, but a portion of that will be predicated on his 3-point shooting. If the latter is not consistent, the former will be nonexistent.
He’s got solid in-between touch, knocking down 40 percent of his non-paint 2s. Smith is big enough with a high enough release point where he can shoot over most defenders.
The near-7-footer was also a rock-solid shot-blocker. He’s a good athlete with long arms, which he should be able to use to his advantage in certain situations. That also raises his ceiling in the passing lanes, too.
Weaknesses:
One thing I struggle with, in regards to Smith, is his frame.
I don’t think he’ll be able to guard 5s consistently at the NBA level, but I wonder how agile enough he will be to defend 3-4s. I think he’s more of a forward than he is a true big, but I believe he must improve his frame in order to get a full scope on his defensive potential.
He was also consistently out of position inside-the-arc defensively. He’s been playing professional basketball for two years and is still not even 20-years-old, so he has plenty of time to grow. You can coach and/or scheme around those deficiencies. He’s got the tools to at least be a capable shot-blocker and a player who can deter shots around the rim.
Smith can stretch the floor, but I want to see how consistently his offensive skillset translates. I believe he could be a solid 2.5-level scorer, but he has room to grow offensively as a shot-maker.
He showed flashes with his back to the basket, but I want to see him develop a drop step with the ability to go over both shoulders.
Projection: Middle of 1st Round (11-20)
Tyler Smith is young, and I think he has a decent floor with a fairly high ceiling. He’s incredibly mobile, athletic and is a good shot-maker. He’s raw in some areas and isn’t very big or physical, so I’m not sure how much of an impact he makes from Day 1. But I think he’s got good long-term prospects–just get him in the right developmental system, please.
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