Evaluating Dillingham, Smith at OTE!

This previous weekend I traveled to Atlanta to go to Additional time Elite, the place I evaluated two nights of a playoff collection with Additional time Elite’s Chilly Hearts workforce going through Hillcrest Prep (Ariz.). Consequently, I used to be capable of watch many gifted prospects play. Nonetheless, two gamers that would probably be within the 2024 NBA Draft caught my eye: level guard Rob Dillingham and submit Tyler Smith. I’ve seen each gamers many instances earlier than; nonetheless, as we speak, I’d like to provide you my most up to date pulse on every.

Rob Dillingham, OTE (Hickory, N.C.)
6-1 | 170 | Guard | Faculty: Kentucky
Sport 1: 12 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST
Sport 2: 22 PTS, 7 AST, 4 STL

I’ve been saying quite a bit these days that conventional huge males and undersized guards are shedding worth on the NBA stage at an alarming price. So, at first look, Dillingham doesn’t essentially scream “big-time NBA prospect,” as he’s not tall and has a slight construct at 6-foot-1, 170. As soon as the ball is tipped, nonetheless, it’s straightforward to see why Dillingham is very touted. First, his velocity, shiftiness, craftiness, and knack for attending to his spots and organising his teammates by dishing the ball with good timing and really feel are uncanny. And Dillingham is already a succesful shot-maker, usually capturing off the dribble after consistently altering his tempo and zig-zagging across the courtroom whereas commonly getting as much as speeds that appear like 100 miles per hour and stopping on a dime. Then, there’s Dillingham’s flooring presence. There’s no ignoring Dillingham whereas he’s on the courtroom, as he exudes an quantity of confidence and swagger that’s hardly ever seen in a participant his age (18 years outdated). He talks a whole lot of trash and walks a high quality line between having confidence that creates a aggressive edge and being just a bit an excessive amount of. I feel his method will be efficient if utilized correctly. Nonetheless, once more, he’s strolling a high quality line, and I’m retaining a pulse on these components of his sport.

As I’ve collected my ideas after my most up-to-date publicity to Dillingham, I can’t assist myself to consider two gamers that I’ve had the chance to spend so much of time round: T.J. Ford and Brandon Jennings, each gamers who have been lottery picks chosen by my dad’s workforce, the Milwaukee Bucks. (My dad, Dave Babcock, is the Bucks’ director of participant personnel, and has been with the workforce for greater than 25 years.) Dillingham possesses Ford’s jet velocity and water bug quickness and Jennings’ craftiness, shot-making, and swagger.

So the massive looming query stays: is Dillingham particular sufficient to be an exception to this newly unwritten rule about undersized guards within the NBA and develop into a top-tiered NBA prospect? Nicely, I feel so, however I’m not solely positive but. So I’ll watch him intently subsequent season as he’s set to go to Lexington to play for coach John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats.

Tyler Smith, OTE (Houston, Texas)
6-10 | 214 | Ahead/Heart | Faculty: N/A
Sport 1: 21 PTS, 7 REB, 4-7 3PT
Sport 2: 26 PTS, 8 REB, 3-6 3PT

Like Dillingham, I’ve seen Smith play many instances earlier than my newest journey to Additional time Elite. And really, I bear in mind exactly the primary time I noticed him play in individual. It was at an AAU event in Dallas a few years in the past. Then shortly after, in Houston, when he switched squads to workforce up with 2023 NBA Draft prospect Keyonte George (Baylor). Smith was most likely round 6-foot-8 after I first noticed him, and he confirmed flashes of versatility and a capability to stretch the ground by capturing the ball from outdoors.

I used to be intrigued.

Quick ahead to now, and Smith is each bit 6-foot-10, and his physique has begun to fill out. So at his present measurement, Smith is a lefty stretch huge, as he usually performs confronted in direction of the ring outdoors on the perimeter. And he’s able to capturing from deep, which was evident in these two latest video games I watched as he shot 7-of-13 from three-point vary. Smith can be a succesful finisher on the rim, using primarily straight-line drives. Nevertheless, he can even put it on the ground for an enormous man and end utilizing some artful finishes, euro steps, and totally different strikes across the basket. I wouldn’t say Smith is exceptionally explosive. Nonetheless, he’s coordinated, expert, and a great athlete, making him a well-rounded and versatile huge on each ends of the ground.

Per Cerebro Sports activities, they’ve aggregated metrics from 45 of Smith’s video games at Additional time Elite and the highschool stage. Smith has made 62-of-192 three-point makes an attempt (.322). After all, these metrics don’t essentially counsel he’ll develop into the following Dirk Nowitzki or Karl-Anthony Cities. Nevertheless, I heard a veteran NBA coach as soon as say, “we’d like our huge males to shoot it nicely sufficient in order that they preserve the protection trustworthy by having to protect them on the perimeter, offering vital flooring spacing.” Nicely, I feel Smith is already at that time in his improvement. Additionally, contemplating that he’s developed a repute for being one of many greatest health club rats within the Additional time Elite program, tells me he’ll preserve bettering.

So over two years, my curiosity in Smith as an NBA prospect has transitioned from intrigue to pleasure. And at this price, I believe the following characterization in my analysis shall be “promise.”

Regardless, I’ll be retaining shut tabs on Tyler Smith shifting ahead.

When you learn this, preserve grinding, huge fella!