clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

NBA Mock Draft: Philadelphia 76ers Select Zhaire Smith from Texas Tech

SB Nation’s NBA Network conducted a mock draft with bloggers from each team site making their team’s pick. With the tenth pick, the 76ers select Zhaire Smith.

By Seth Pollack
Texas Tech v Villanova Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

NBA Mock Draft Pick #10 — Zhaire Smith, Guard, Texas Tech

SBNation’s Philadelphia 76ers blog Liberty Ballers explains the pick:

The Sixers’ playoff series against the Boston Celtics exposed Philly’s lack of wing depth. With the 10th pick, the Sixers hope to have addressed that. Zhaire Smith gives the Sixers a gifted athlete who could play the 2 or 3 offensively, and his tenacity and versatility on the opposite end of the floor make him a great fit in Brett Brown’s defensive scheme.

The Sixers are ready to win now, but also have a bright future ahead of them. So Zhaire fits their time frame perfectly. He’ll need to bulk up to defend NBA wings and his shooting is a work in progress. But Smith’s elite athletic ability should allow him to thrive in transition alongside Ben Simmons from Day 1. Combine Smith’s transition play with his screening and rebounding in the half-court, and it enables him to be someone who can contribute off the bench immediately despite his overall rawness. At the least, the Sixers have obtained a defensive spark plug for their 2nd unit. And maybe a future Dunk Contest Champion (Smith has pogo sticks for legs)? Philadelphia basketball is all about those moral victories.

Sixers fans have become accustomed to the team drafting guards/wings who have questionable shooting skills. This pick will be met with critical acclaim, I’m sure of it.

  1. Suns DEANDRE AYTON
  2. Kings LUKA DONCIC
  3. Hawks JAREN JACKSON
  4. Grizzlies MARVIN BAGLEY III
  5. Mavs WENDELL CARTER JR.
  6. Magic MO BAMBA
  7. Bulls MICHAEL PORTER JR.
  8. Cavaliers TRAE YOUNG
  9. Knicks MIKAL BRIDGES
  10. Sixers ZHAIRE SMITH
  11. Mavs MILES BRIDGES
  12. Clippers SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER
  13. Magic ELIE OKOBO
  14. Nuggets KEVIN KNOX
  15. Wizards ROBERT WILLIAMS
  16. Suns COLLIN SEXTON
  17. Bucks LONNIE WALKER
  18. Spurs TROY BROWN
  19. Hawks DE’ANTHONY MELTON
  20. Wolves KEVIN HUERTER
  21. Jazz CHANDLER HUTCHISON
  22. Bulls JOSH OKOGIE
  23. Pacers KEITA BATES-DIOP
  24. Nets GRAYSON ALLEN
  25. Lakers AARON HOLIDAY
  26. Sixers JACOB EVANS
  27. Celtics JEROME ROBINSON
  28. Warriors KHYRI THOMAS
  29. Blazers DONTE DIVINCENZO
  30. Hawks MELVIN FRAZIER

In This Stream

2018 NBA Blogger Mock Draft

View all 30 stories