[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2024 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Tyler Smith
Frame: 6’11”, 224 lbs
Position: Forward
Team: G League Ignite
2024 Draft Age: 19
Stats via www.sports-reference.com

 Offense

Smith is a versatile forward who can roll and pop out of screening actions and shoot from different areas of the court (36 percent from three on four attempts from the NBA arc in only 22.5 minutes per game). He is very comfortable in the post, where he likes to turn, face up and rise over his defender or get to his turnaround jumper. Smith makes the right play and doesn’t often force it; he knows when to attack a mismatch. Smith is an instinctive baseline cutter and capable lob threat who makes himself available around the dunker spot.

Smith also operates well out of the elbow area, where he can rise up or initiate dribble handoffs with his teammates. He can make simple reads from the elbow and post area where he can find shooters and cutters and keeps the ball moving, but he is not an advanced playmaker (1.3 assists per game). The jumper is smooth and effortless; he shot 73.2 percent from the line on 1.9 attempts, stats via www.sports-reference.com

Smith can finish above the rim and often chases his or his teammate’s misses for a put-back (1.7 offensive rebounds per game). He runs the floor hard and is good at finishing in transition. Smith utilizes the ghost and slip screen very well to get open for dunks and threes. Even though he has a very fluid jump shot, he can fall in love with it a bit too much instead of being aggressive and getting to the rim. Aside from dunks or layups off the roll, he does not finish at the rim as well or as frequently as you’d want someone with his athleticism to finish.

Right now, Smith is more of a spot-up shooter, but he has shown to be able to make some off the dribble. He was very impactful in his limited minutes, especially while on a team with two projected lottery picks in Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland II. Smith is a very fluid athlete for his size and can grab the rebound and initiate the offense. Smith needs to work on his downhill attacking; while he can attack closeouts, his first step isn’t that quick. Many of his half-court shots are jumpers, and he struggles to finish through contact.

 

Defense

Smith shows flashes of being a great weakside rim protector (0.9 blocks per game in limited action). He needs to get stronger to bang down low and can get pushed around at times. Smith needs to work on being more physical and putting a body on a man to fight for rebounds (5.1 rebounds a game). He also needs to work on his pick-and-roll coverage, as he is often out of position or frozen when switching or recovering to his man.

Smith has the tools to be a good defender but needs to show more focus in that area. Sometimes, he is caught flat-footed and gets beaten off the dribble by guards. He needs to work on his lateral movements and hip flexibility, occasionally lost or unsure of what to do in switches in screening actions. He has the size and athleticism to improve, plus a body that should fill out over time. Becoming a consistent plus defender at the next level will take time and patience.

Looking Ahead

Smith’s upside and offensive versatility should intrigue many teams that need spacing at the forward position. He has real NBA three-point range and is proficient at popping and rolling off the screen. The G-League Ignite had a rough season, but he was one of the lone bright spots and the most consistent player on the team, which should be encouraging.

To maximize his full potential, he must improve his defensive consistency and finishing ability. At 19, he is still young, so there is a lot of untapped potential left in his game. Functional size that can shoot is at a premium in the NBA, so he should be able to contribute and add much-needed spacing to whatever team selects him. Smith projects as a mid-to-late-first-round pick in the NBA Draft.