DraftExpress: Players I thought would get drafted but didn't: Ben Hansbrough, Michael Dunigan, Greg Smith, David Lighty, Diante Garrett, Demetri McCamey. 2011-06-24 01:21:10
DraftExpress: Here's our breakdown (with video) of Kawhi Leonard & Greg Smith after watching them work out in Vegas w/Joe Abunasar: http://bit.ly/lw29Rr 2011-05-16 03:28:26
DraftExpress: DX West Coast Workout Swing, Part One: Joe Abunassar's Impact Basketball: Kawhi Leonard & Greg Smith http://bit.ly/lsGuio 2011-05-15 06:20:48
DraftExpress: One thing's for sure: Greg Smith needs to fire his PR people. First rule about declaring for the draft: never do it on a NCAA tournament day 2011-03-17 08:52:09
DraftExpress: This article from last week's Fresno Bee illustrates many of the same concerns we've discussed regarding Greg Smith: http://bit.ly/fFlfT9 2011-03-17 08:40:10
Analyzing the 2011 NBA Combine Measurements May 21, 2011 We made a note in our recent west coast workout report about just how big Greg Smith's hands are. Upon further review at the combine, his hands are one-foot wide, easily the top mark we've seen since the combine began measuring hands. This quantifies the way Smith (6-8 without shoes, 7-2 ½ wingspan, 252 pounds) can routinely snatch the ball out of mid-air and palm it away from his body. [Read Full Article] West Coast Workout Swing Part One: Joe Abunassar's Impact Basketball May 15, 2011 One of the first underclassman to elect to enter and keep his name in the NBA draft, Greg Smith was also one the first to start his training at Impact. That became abundantly clear right away when looking at Smith's frame. He's maximized himself physically over the last few months, looking big, strong, and lean. We were unable to see Smith in competitive action since he was back in the gym a day after a team workout, but he showed some unique things in the time we were able to watch him.
Perhaps the most ridiculous spectacle we saw all week came in Smith's post drills. Dwarfing most of the players here with his size, Smith also has exceptionally large hands, and on a number of occasions, simply snatched the entry passes directed his way out of midair, palming the ball away from his body as if it were a grapefruit. A prime example of what we're talking about comes just after the 1:00 mark in our workout video below.
The workout we watched was part of what amounted to a rest day for Smith who flew in late the night before to be in attendance. He started off with some shooting drills where he continued to work on his mechanics. The Fresno State product is still in the beginning phases of the development of that part of his game.
In post drills, Smith worked on his footwork and finishing ability. Though we didn't get to see him in competitive action, his sheer size and strength is impressive and should serve him well as he continues to become more fluid and polished with the ball in his hands. [Read Full Article]
Trending Prospects (2/10/2011) February 10, 2011
AP
Kyle Nelson
Center Greg Smith had an impressive freshman campaign, but he has failed to distinguish himself as a sophomore for the 11-12 Fresno State bulldogs.
At 6'10 with solid length and a stocky 250-pound frame, Smith is big enough to play either post position at the next level. While he is not overly quick or explosive, he is a solid and coordinated athlete with above average mobility given his size.
Smith was expected to assume greater offensive responsibilities with the departures of Paul George and Sylvester Seay, but, he has actually seen his role reduced. His production has dropped from 16.7 points per 40 minutes pace adjusted as a freshman, to just 15.2 as a sophomore. His lack of production is particularly frustrating not only given his physical advantages in the post at this level, but also considering the skill level that he shows with his back to the basket.
Smith receives over 40% of his offensive possessions on post-ups, where he continues to show the same combination of soft hands and basic footwork. His 59.8% 2FG represents how efficient he is as a post scorer. He looks particularly comfortable this season executing a spin move to his left hand.
For the most part, however, his skill set has not improved since last season. He must continue to work on expanding his game, primarily getting more comfortable going right and developing more advanced footwork. Furthermore, while he has gotten to the line at a slightly greater rate this season, he is still an abysmal foul shooter to the tune of 54.5% while showing very little potential as a spot-up shooter at this stage.
Smith shows improved decision making abilities, however, cutting down on his turnovers and fouls while displaying improved passing and off-the-ball movement. Unfortunately, his motor still runs hot and cold, which leads to periods of ineffectiveness and invisibility on the offensive end. This, in addition to Fresno State's miserable offensive execution, likely explains his mediocre production and usage rate.
Inconsistency defines Smith's defensive performance, as well. While his size, bulk, and solid mobility should help him stand his ground in the post with relative ease at this level, he struggles with focus. Far too often, his man beats him with a simple fake or countermove and Smith is forced to foul to compensate for his poor effort.
While he is still a below average rebounder given his size and athleticism, he noticeably improved on the defensive boards on his way to a far more respectable 9.6 rebounds per 40 minutes pace adjusted. Nevertheless, it is in this area where his lack of activity and effort are most evident and he still has a lot to prove to scouts.
For these reasons, Smith remains both a legitimate prospect and an extremely frustrating player. He should be dominating mid-major collegiate competition with his physical advantages and ability to play with his back to the basket. Fresno State's shaky game plan and disorganized offense certainly isn't helping matters, but scouts will be watching to see if he can compensate by producing through hustle and sheer effort. [Read Full Article] Top NBA Draft Prospects in Non-BCS Conferences, Part One (#1-10) October 30, 2010 Jonathan Givony
A pleasant surprise amongst last year's freshman class, Fresno State's Greg Smith emerged from relative obscurity at the high school level to string together a very productive season.
Smith's virtues as an NBA prospect are pretty easy to see on first glance, as he brings great size to the table to go along with a nice wingspan and a big, strong frame. Smith looks the part of a legit NBA center from a physical standpoint, which when combined with his excellent hands, puts him in a rare class of prospects right off the bat.
Offensively, Smith shows an intriguing skill level for a young big man. He does most of his damage inside the paint, often operating with his back to the basket, where he's quite a capable threat. He scored at a nice rate as a freshman, 16.7 points per-40p, got to the free throw line regularly, and was very efficient (58% FG) in his somewhat limited role in a very disjumbled looking Fresno State offense. He showed some at times last season, having the ability to put the ball on the floor a bit and utilizing some basic spin moves to get his shot off with very soft touch. There is definitely some things to work with here you take into account his chiseled frame and soft hands.
On the negative side, Smith struggles with contact and doesn't finish above the rim in traffic very often, as he's not the quickest or most explosive big man you'll find amongst NBA prospects. He's mobile, but does not possess off the charts athleticism. He lacks any type of face-up ability at this point in time, attempting just a handful of jumpers last year and shooting 58.6% from the free throw line.
Smith is also not a very good rebounder at this stage, which is a bit disappointing considering his physical attributes and level of competition he plays at in the WAC. He can rebound in and around his area, but seems to lack the quickness and explosiveness to go out and extra possessions on a regular basis. Playing harder and being more physical boxing out, especially on the defensive end, would go a long way in solving this issue.
Still nowhere near a finished product at this point, Smith's lack of experience really gets exposed on the defensive end, where he shows poor fundamentals and awareness, and regularly gets taken advantage of, often resulting in foul trouble. He loses his focus and gets beaten off the dribble very easily on the perimeter, and also lets smaller, weaker players post him up and push him around.
Where freshmen tend to struggle the most in making the transition from high school to college is often with dealing with the increased level of physicality and intensity, and Smith is clearly no exception.
Unfortunately Smith tends to gives up on plays easily and generally doesn't put very much effort in on the defensive end either, which only compounds the problem, and helps explain his paltry rebounding numbers. Clearly he has very good physical tools, and the potential to be a solid defender down the line, but at this stage, he looks nowhere close to that.
With Paul George off to the NBA and Sylvester Seay graduated, Smith should become a focal point in Fresno State's offense, and will surely draw intrigue from NBA scouts. While he surely doesn't look close to being ready to compete for minutes in the NBA, it also wouldn't be much of a shock if he came out soon either, as players with his tools tend to be valued pretty highly. We'll have to see what kind of progress he makes this year. [Read Full Article]
[
