Smith’s defensive timing and vertical leaping ability also give him the ability to consistently block shots from the help-side. A scouting report is essentially the answer sheet for a test, and many prospects, despite being uber-athletic, neglect to prepare for the test like Justin Smith. It may be small, but NBA teams take notice of players that clearly put the time and preparation into playing good defense. When you watch closely, he almost always knows where to be on defense and clearly spends a lot of time looking at the scouting report. He has the speed and lateral agility to stay in front of smaller, shiftier guards, in addition to the size and strength to hold his own in the post against taller wings and big men.
Smith displays, not only a willingness to play defense, but also a great deal of knowledge and skill on that side of the floor. How does Justin Smith stack up in that regard? Strength #3: Defense This type of athleticism is enough to make NBA scouts take some notice, but it must be paired with skill. For reference, the highest vertical jump ever measured at the NBA combine is 46 inches. Smith is also the owner of a massive 48 inch vertical jump.
There are no public measurements of Smith’s wingspan, but given his other physical attributes, it is reasonable to assume his arms are fairly long. He’s got good size for a wing at 6-foot-7 and 227 pounds, nearly identical to the proportions of Scottie Pippen, who is perhaps the greatest defensive wing of all time. Justin Smith’s body and athleticism are his greatest asset. Given Tom Crean’s track record for finding diamonds in the rough, it’s not absurd to think Smith could be next in line for NBA success. Smith was a top 100 recruit by ESPN and 24/7 Sports’ rankings (83rd and 78th), but only number 119 according to Rivals, similar to Oladipo. If you remember, Justin Smith was a holdover from the Creen era he committed to IU under Crean and decided to stay committed through the coaching transition to Archie Miller. Victor Oladipo and OG Anunoby are the two examples of this. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) Strength #1: Historyįirst of all, say what you want about Tom Crean, but he had a knack for bringing under-the-radar recruits to Bloomington and turning them into great college basketball players and NBA darlings. BLOOMINGTON, IN – NOVEMBER 09: Justin Smith #3 of the Indiana Hoosiers defends against Harald Frey #5 of the Montana State Bobcats in the first half of the game at Assembly Hall on Novemin Bloomington, Indiana.
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