The NBA draft is tonight and on most mock drafts, Auburn’s Jabari Smith Jr. is projected to be the first player taken. The Orlando Magic has the first pick in this year's NBA draft.
The Tigers will likely have two first-round picks for the first time in program history, as NCAA Defensive Player of the Year Walker Kessler is expected to go in the opening round as well.
The consensus is that there are three players above most others in the draft — Smith, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Duke’s Paolo Banchero. All are forwards, all at least 6-foot-10 (Holmgren is a 7-footer), all played one year of college ball and all figure to be meriting serious consideration for the No. 1 spot.
Ten of the 12 major media mock drafts have Smith going No. 1, with CBS Sports and USA Today having Orlando picking Gonzaga Center Chet Holmgren instead.
Smith is a 19-year-old, six-foot-10, 220-pound freshman who is a skilled shooter, including from behind the three-point line. Smith is the son of LSU standout and NBA player Jabari Smith Sr. He was a McDonald's All-American in his senior year at Sandy Creek High School. He averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists a game in his season at Auburn. He also shot 42% from beyond the three-point line. His performance earned Smith National College Freshman of the Year and was an All-American. Auburn spent weeks this season ranked #1 in the country in basketball – the first time in the school’s history.
“He is not afraid of the moment,” Auburn head basketball Coach Bruce Pearl told Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd. “He is the first NBA all-star that I have coached.”
Pearl compared Smith to perennial NBA all-star Kevin Durant, who has led his teams to four NBA finals, winning two championships.
“The comp has got to be Durant,” Pearl said when asked who in the NBA Smith is most like. “It's got to be because of his ability to shoot the ball to jump shoot. He has a high release point. He is every bit of 6’10”. He can make open ones and he can make contested ones and he is absolutely not afraid of the moment. The secret sauce is Jabari. He is competitive. [And] he does not like to lose at anything. He is going to win at wind sprints. He is going to win free-throw contests. He is going to win three-point shooting contests. He is going to win at ping pong and if he doesn’t win, he is going to be pissed and he is going to affect everyone he is with. All he cares about is getting better, being a great teammate and winning championships.”
Smith is the only local player in the top 14 picks on the consensus draft board. That said, there are other stand-out local players to watch for tonight in the draft.
Kessler is seven-feet-one inches tall and 257 pounds. Kessler, age 20, averaged 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.6 blocks this season for Auburn and was the NCAA Defensive Player of the Year. He is a projected first-round pick as well. He is rated by ESPN as the No. 26 overall draft prospect after ranking second in Division I by blocking 4.56 shots per game, including nine games with at least seven blocks.
The University of Alabama’s J.D. Davison and Keon Ellis are also in this year's draft.
Davison is a six-foot-two-inch 19-year-old freshman point guard who averaged 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.9 turnovers this season for the Tide earning him All-SEC freshman team honors.
Ellis is another prospect in this draft. The six-foot-four-inch 167-pound 22-year-old senior can play both guard and small forward. Ellis averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.8 assists per game in his senior season earning All-SEC defensive team honors.
The NBA draft begins at 7 p.m. central. You can watch it live on ESPN and ABC.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandon.moseley@1819News.com.
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