No. 26 — Jalen Smith, PF, Maryland
For those of you who have been following my coverage of draft prospects the Boston Celtics should have on their radar — I love you guys — you already know how fond I am of Maryland big man Jalen Smith.
The sophomore power forward saw quite a successful season in 2019-20. Through 31 games, Smith averaged 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game on 54 percent shooting from the floor and 37 percent shooting from deep on a cool 2.8 attempts.
With his play the big man received honors of Big 10 All-Defensive Team, First-Team All-Big 10 and found himself on the All-American Third-Team.
The 6-10 Smith is an incredible prospect in terms of both offensive and defensive versatility. On offense, the power forward showcased impressive footwork when in the post near the basket, proved capable of putting the moves on a defender when putting the ball on the floor and, something that is more important than ever, showed to have a reliable shooting strong when away from the basket and while on the perimeter (attempted just under three 3-pointers a game this past year).
Defensively, thanks to his athleticism and natural instinct, the 20-year-old proved to be agile and allusive enough to stay with his assignment and, of course as his averages and accolades will attest to, has shown a knack for swatting shots.
Somewhat reminiscent of a young Chris Bosh during his days at Georgia Tech, Jalen Smith’s game could transition perfectly to the next level, especially if he puts on some size (currently weighs in at 225 pounds).
His skill set fits in perfectly with the type of bigs Head Coach Brad Stevens likes to have on his roster and, if all goes according to plan, the C’s could find themselves acquiring a long term answer in the front court if they select Smith at 26.