NBA Comparison: Taj Gibson

Strengths:  A long, versatile power forward with solid all around skill set … Possesses a 7’2 wingspan and 6’10 height … Shows the ability to contribute in a variety of ways, and on both ends of the floor … Showed intriguing development from his freshman to sophomore seasons … Has developed into a quality outside shooter, showing the range to knock down the three ball at a solid clip, making one per game at 36.8% … Also improved as a FT shooter, raising his average from 65 to 75% in his sophomore year … His ability to shoot on top of the length and athleticism makes him an intriguing option in today’s shot-centric league … A quality defender … Shows a solid ability to block shots utilizing long arms, leaping ability and excellent instincts to read and react opponents around the paint … Smith is a cerebral player, and shows good decision making ability … Productive college player, who played with consistency and energy … Has very good size and length at 6’10 with a 7’1.5 wingspan … Runs the floor hard, and does a solid job of finishing on the break … Shows some solid post skills with the ability to hit baby hooks as well as create baskets with polished interior moves … Considered a great kid, very hard working and intelligent …

Weaknesses: While he is bouncy, he is not the most fluid of athletes … Hips appear stiff and doesn’t show great flexibility … His post moves can look somewhat robotic at times … Worked hard in the off-season to add strength and bulk, but his legs still appear very thin, and somewhat underdeveloped … Whether his lack of leg mass / body symmetry creates an injury concern is something that team doctors would need to address … Jump shot is effective but takes a little while to get off. Can improve upon making his shot more concise and have less range of motion over time … May take some time to extend his shot to become an effective NBA three point shooter but the hope is obviously … Lacks great ball handling ability to create offense for himself off the dribble … Movements appear stiff and robotic at times, doesn’t always make things look sexy, but he’s obviously very effective in his role …

Overall: Despite being just 225 lbs, today’s game seems to have gone away from strength with spacing and skill being of more importance in big men … Smith is considered by most scouts as a likely first rounder … Was able to add 15 lbs of muscle to his frame showing better ability to handle contact in the post in his sophomore season …

Notes: Notes: Measured: 6’9.25” barefoot, 6’10.25” in shoes, 9’2.00” standing reach, 224.6 lbs, and 7’2.25” wingspan at the 2020 NBA Combine … Nicknamed “stix” due to his svelte frame, particularly during high school … Came into college as the 16th rated recruit by 247sports and 10th overall by ESPN … Some considered him a likely one and done lottery pick entering Maryland … And he was arguably one of the top freshman to return to college for his sophomore season …

Aran Smith 11/3/20

Strengths: 6’9 big man … Good length with a 7’1.5 wingspan … Fluid athlete and very coordinated. Runs the floor well and consistently. Gets off the ground well from a standstill … Shows a nice shooting stroke from outside and stretches the floor. Shoots well from midrange as well. Reliable free throw shooter. Shot 84.1% from the foul line over the Nike EYBL … Can score inside and out. Finishes well within close with accurate touch. Uses glass when appropriate. Shot 57.4% from the floor over the Nike EYBL and 67.5% at the NBPA Top 100 … Shows some ability to put the ball on the floor and shoot off the dribble … Solid passing instincts. Uses touch passes on occasions … Good offensive rebounder with 2.1 over the Nike EYBL. Reliable cleaning up around the basket … Alert. Spaces the floor and positions himself well on both ends, tends to be in the right place at the right time … Doesn’t force his impact … Good defensive tools and instincts. Light on his feet. Good timing as a shot blocker. Averaged a block per game over the Nike EYBL … Provides tools and skillset that fit the mold of a modern day big man …

Weaknesses: Has much room to get stronger, especially in the lower body. Only weighs around 200 pounds. Doesn’t handle contact well … Has room to expand his post-game. Accurate in the paint but doesn’t make many moves or counters to get his shot off and it will be an adjustment when defenders match his size … Good on the offensive glass but can improve as a rebounder overall. Only averaged 5.6 over the Nike EYBL … Can cut down on the 2.1 turnovers per game over the Nike EYBL. Had a few games with four or five …

Outlook: Incoming Maryland freshman … Scored 12 points while shooting 6-9 and blocked two shots in the McDonald’s All-American Game … Finished with 14 points, nine rebounds (five offensive), and three blocks in the Jordan Brand Classic … Averaged 10.9 points per game over the Nike EYBL …

Evan Tomes 7/12/18