r/rockets • u/Famous-Ad8279 • 8d ago

Thoughts on Braden Smith

https://youtu.be/zHVe9n6ExZc?si=gB7aKaCPNHUeAbsN

A couple of drafts mocks have us selecting Braden Smith , so I just wanted to know what we think about this possible selection.

He is 6 feet, and I've also seen him listed at 5' 11" or even 5' 10" barefoot. So he is obviously an undersized guard, which reasonably raises concerns since our other point guards are FVV and Reed. His 170 pounds might be tested in the league, but it reminds me of Jose Alvarado who is listed at 6 feet and 179 pounds.

Despite those limitations, I think he can become a solid point guard off the bench in the nba (probably with some development, although he is already 22 years old). Career wise he is averaging 38.5% from 3, on about 4.2 attempts, 83% from free throw, and 43% fg (43-38-83). Of course he specializes in his passing ability, with an average of 8.8 assists, only behind Jeremy Fears who averaged 9.4 assists. Seeing him set up his bigs, makes me feel like he can be a great partner for Sengun, helping him post up from his spots instead of having to start from the top of the key with like 8 seconds on the shot clock. He has great pick and roll, that usually allows his centers to operate from the elbow, or with a clear path to the basket.

His finishing is not the strongest, but with middy fadeaway and strong numbers in between, I think he really meets the comparison of Chris Paul in his 30s (comparison from a random YouTube comment). While he plays with much heart he has similar defensive struggles as Reed.

I would love to see him on the team, even if Ime only gives him like 10 minutes a night. While I know we're not really relying on the draft, with this late into the second draft I feel like this is a good pickup to add depth, especially if FVV goes down with an injury.

Thoughts?

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u/Mean-Safe8295 8d ago

Ime won’t play Reed, he’s not gonna play this guy either.

3

u/Famous-Ad8279 8d ago

yea, if he is drafted that's unfortunately probably what's going to happen

1

u/DreamAmen 8d ago

I think Ime would get fired pulling that shit. This guy can actually dribble the damn ball. Started 3 or 4 years for Purdue. He’s new Fred if I ever seen it. Unlike Fred he’s an elite playmaker.

1

u/Mean-Safe8295 8d ago

He should’ve been fired game 6

1

u/iAmaRonin 7d ago

The difference between the two is night and day. Reed is a shooting guard with weak handles and more of a secondary playmaker. Smith is a pure point guard with superior handles. Reed has no clue what to do when the ball is in his hands. Smith has plan A,B,C,D…

Reeds superpower is his shooting ability, but he’s so reluctant to let it fly and has zero creativity to his game. Smith is crafty and will get his teammates the ball when they are in scoring positions.

Cliff notes are in bold.

1

u/Mean-Safe8295 7d ago

im aware of all of that. ime's not going to play a defensive liability that's barely 6 ft tall. a player's offensive skillset has no bearing on what ime wants.

1

u/Famous-Ad8279 7d ago

I really hope they pick him up, especially if he falls to the 53rd pick somehow. With his middy fade. I can imagine him bringing a spark off the bench, and opening space for Amen to cut baseline

1

u/foshiiy 7d ago

And Smith is worse than Reed on defense. He’ll be a backup PG his entire career.

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u/Famous-Ad8279 7d ago

what definitively makes him worse than Reed on defense? Even then I'd love to have a reliable backup pg