Former Suns Pick Jalen Smith Slides in 2020 NBA Re-Draft
The Phoenix Suns have made some incredible draft picks in recent memory.
Guys such as Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson and Deandre Ayton were all drafted and developed into the players they are today. Sprinkle in a veteran point guard such as Chris Paul, and you've got one of the best basketball teams in the league.
Yet nobody is perfect at drafting and developing talent, and general manager James Jones has indeed whiffed on picks during his tenure in Phoenix.
One of those was Jalen Smith, who spent just a short amount of time with the Suns before being shipped to Indiana.
Initially chosen at pick No. 10, Smith fell to No. 17 in Bleacher Report's 2020 re-draft.
Former Suns Pick Jalen Smith Slides in 2020 NBA Re-Draft
"There is almost no way to evaluate Jalen Smith on the basis of his 56 appearances with the Phoenix Suns. Despite using a top-10 pick to select him, he played just 9.6 minutes per game with the Suns, and at the start of his second season, Phoenix declined the team option for his third year (an exceptionally rare move with a lottery pick)," said B/R.
"After he was traded to the Indiana Pacers, though, Smith reminded everyone of the upside that made him a top-20 recruit before he went to college and a top-10 pick in 2020. In his 22 games with the Pacers, Smith averaged 13.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.4 threes and 1.0 blocks in just 24.7 minutes.
"It's risky to base a judgment on 22 games, but he showed enough three-and-D potential to threaten the lottery again."
There were nine players that finished ahead of Smith that Phoenix, in hindsight, could have taken: Tyrese Haliburton (originally 12th), Desmond Bane (30th), Tyrese Maxey (21st), Immanuel Quickley (25th), Saddiq Bey (19th), Devin Vassell (11th), Cole Anthony (15th) , Isaiah Stewart (16th) and Payton Pritchard (26th).
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