Walking Mismatch: G League Ignite's Tyler Smith Blends Fluidity with Size
Some of the most successful young players in the NBA today are combo forwards with the ability to play stretch four but also slide down and operate as more of a traditional wing.
In the 2024 NBA Draft, one of the top players that fits that mold is Tyler Smith of the G League Ignite, who recently told Draft Digest that he’s gained 12 pounds and is now at 226 pounds overall. Pair the increase in strength with his 6-foot-10 height and 7-foot-1 wingspan and it’s no surprise that he appears to be a first-round talent.
“I am a stretch four that can really shoot the ball,” Smith told Draft Digest in an interview. “I set picks and block shots and I’m a great two-way player that you can put anywhere.”
When watching NBA film in attempt to add more to his personal game, Smith said he watches Jabari Smith Jr. and Keegan Murray most closely. Furthermore, he grew up looking to emulate Chris Bosh when he was on the Toronto Raptors.
“Just any big wings that can set picks, play defense and make open threes,” said Smith of the type of player he likes to watch.
Growing up in the Houston area, Smith was a five-star recruit in high school and beginning to prove himself as one of the top forwards in the country towards the end of his traditional high school career. He was born in New Orleans, but forced to move to Texas during Hurricane Katrina when he was less than a year old.
Smith started playing basketball when he was four, but actually took a short break to focus on football. He played quarterback, which is actually something he looks back on as a great experience to sharpen his decision making. Given he’s a jumbo wing with real flashes of playmaking, this actually makes sense.
“I played quarterback. I played football for six years — It helped me learn to read what was going to happen before it happened,” said Smith.
It also helped that Smith had the opportunity to play guard as a younger kid before hitting his growth spurts, and was able to maintain many of those skills even as he got taller. Not only did he have significant growth spurts in the sixth and tenth grades, but he’s actually still growing today.
“I started growing for real in sixth grade — I went from 5-foot-7 to 6-feet. When I was a sophomore, I grew to like 6-foot-9,” said Smith. “I grew another inch this summer, so now I’m 6-foot-10.”
Smith indicated that his mother was instrumental in ensuring that during his basketball career, he was always put in position to play on the perimeter. While many coaches will stick taller players in the paint, she knew it was important for him to continue developing those skills on the wing, which the Ignite forward believes led to the fluidity he has at his current size.
By the time he was 14, he had already earned a college scholarship offer from the Houston Cougars, but ended up deciding to embark on a more unique path towards the NBA.
Full Tyler Smith Scouting Report
Back in 2021, Smith signed a deal with Overtime Elite, which was essentially brand new at the time. He would join several other top high school recruits as he looked to further develop his game. From there, his alternate path continued as the next step in his journey was signing with Ignite to play in the G League. By the time Smith actually gets to the NBA, he will have multiple years of being in a system surrounded by NBA-level coaching, trainers, development staff and much more.
“Just playing in the G league players against players that are in the G League and coming in and out of the NBA — just playing against those guys, and trying to prove that you’re better and get early access,” said Smith when asked why he made the Ignite decision.
The thing that stands out about Smith when talking to him is the confidence. Not only does he have the talent and size to be a fantastic NBA player, but he also carries himself the right way. He mentioned there hasn’t been much about playing professionally that has surprised him yet at the G League level and feels he’s handled all of his early matchups very well. With that in mind, he is focused on improving his defense to better round out his two-way game.
“Just defensive rotation stuff,” said Smith when asked what he’s working on. “I’ve gotten way better over the past few weeks just in practicing. Defensive drills in our training camp have helped. I just feel like I am going to come out in the first game and everyone’s going to like it.”
Tyler Smith is as tall as some centers in the NBA, but has the skills of the prototypical wing. This comes with a unique blend of power and touch, which is what makes him such a lethal scorer and walking mismatch moving forward. With a good season in the G League, don’t be surprised to see him continue to rise up draft boards.
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