Premier, top-notch content on prospects for the NBA Draft.
Updated on 7/31/21. Written by Alan Lu . 2021 rankings were finalized on 7/29/21.
Height: 6-3 Weight: 203 College: Missouri Classification: Senior Birthdate: 12/30/1997 Projected Draft Range: 2 nd Round to Undrafted Pros : Decent shooter Adequate scorer off the dribble Adequate playmaker Adequate rebounder for his size Adequate defender that can get steals
Cons : Streaky shooter Struggles to score in traffic Can be turnover prone Can be undisciplined defensively Only an average athlete Old for a draft prospect, may have limited upside
Summary : Dru Smith is a skilled combo guard that is eligible to selected in the 2021 NBA Draft. He can score the basketball in a variety of ways, but he can be too inconsistent at knocking down shots at times, and he also can tend to pick up quick fouls on the defensive end. Currently, he projects to be a borderline second round candidate for the upcoming draft.
Links: RealGM Profile NBADraft.Net Profile
Games Scouted: 1/26/2021 Missouri vs. Auburn
If you use any portion of this material, please credit NBA Scouting Live .
Dru Smith SG #9
Current Team: Miami Heat
Born: Dec 30, 1997 (26 years old)
Birthplace/Hometown: Evansville, Indiana
Nationality: United States
Height: 6-2 (188cm) Weight: 203 (92kg)
Current NBA Status: Under Contract (Miami Heat)
Free Agent: RFA-2025
Agent: Aaron Reilly
Draft Entry: 2021 NBA Draft
Early Entry Info: 2021 Early Entrant
Drafted: Undrafted
Pre-Draft Team: Missouri (Sr)
High School: Reitz High School [Evansville, Indiana]
Jump to: [ NBA ] [ NCAA ] [ G League ] [ Recent News ] [ FAQ ]
1 Years Of Service
Dru Smith 2023-2024 Game Log
NBA Regular Season Stats - Per Game
Nba regular season stats - totals, nba regular season stats - misc stats, nba regular season stats - advanced stats.
More Dru Smith NBA Stats »
NBA Transactions
More NBA Transactions »
NBA Summer League Stats - Per Game
Nba summer league stats - totals, nba summer league stats - misc stats, nba summer league stats - advanced stats.
More Dru Smith NBA Summer League Stats »
NBA Preseason Stats - Per Game
Nba preseason stats - totals, nba preseason stats - misc stats, nba preseason stats - advanced stats.
More Dru Smith NBA Preseason Stats »
NBA Training Camp Experience
College: Missouri (2021)
NCAA Season Stats - Per Game
Ncaa season stats - totals, ncaa season stats - misc stats, ncaa season stats - advanced stats, ncaa awards & honors, g league regular season stats - per game, g league regular season stats - totals, g league regular season stats - misc stats, g league regular season stats - advanced stats.
More Dru Smith G League Stats »
G League Transactions
More G League Transactions »
G League Playoff Stats - Per Game
G league playoff stats - totals, g league playoff stats - misc stats, g league playoff stats - advanced stats.
More Dru Smith G League Playoff Stats »
G League Showcase Cup Stats - Per Game
G league showcase cup stats - totals, g league showcase cup stats - misc stats, g league showcase cup stats - advanced stats.
More Dru Smith G League Preseason Stats »
G League Full Season Stats - Per Game
G league full season stats - totals, g league full season stats - misc stats, g league full season stats - advanced stats, recent news.
RealGM Staff Report
More Dru Smith News »
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the age of dru smith.
Dru Smith is 26 years old.
What is the height of Dru Smith?
Dru Smith is 6-2 (188cm) tall.
What is the weight of Dru Smith?
Dru Smith is 203 lbs (92kg).
What is the birthday of Dru Smith?
Dru Smith was born on Dec 30, 1997.
What position does Dru Smith play?
Dru Smith plays the SG position.
What was the pre-draft team of Dru Smith?
Dru Smith was drafted out of Missouri .
What high school did Dru Smith attend?
Dru Smith attended Reitz High School in Evansville, Indiana.
What nationality is Dru Smith?
Dru Smith has a United States nationality.
Where was Dru Smith born?
Dru Smith was born in Evansville, Indiana.
What is the jersey number of Dru Smith?
Dru Smith last wore the #9 jersey number.
What team does Dru Smith play for?
Dru Smith current players for the Miami Heat .
Who is Dru Smith's agent?
Dru Smith's agent is Aaron Reilly .
How many NBA seasons has Dru Smith played?
Dru Smith played 2 seasons in the NBA.
What are the career averages of Dru Smith?
Dru Smith had career averages 3.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.8 steals in 24 games.
What are the career totals of Dru Smith?
Dru Smith had career totals of 83 points, 38 rebounds, 36 assists, 7 blocks, 19 steals in 24 games.
When can Dru Smith become a free agent?
Dru Smith has a free agent status of RFA-2025 .
How many teams has Dru Smith been on?
Dru Smith played for 2 NBA teams in his career - Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat.
When was Dru Smith drafted?
Dru Smith was undrafted in 2021.
What is Dru Smith's career high in points?
Dru Smith averaged a career high 4.3 points per game in 2023-2024.
What is Dru Smith's career high in rebounds?
Dru Smith averaged a career high 1.6 rebounds per game in 2022-2023.
What is Dru Smith's career high in assists?
Dru Smith averaged a career high 1.6 assists per game in 2023-2024.
What is the career PER of Dru Smith's?
Dru Smith had a career PER of 12.1.
- Future Starts Now
- NBA Fitness
- League Pass
Miami Heat | #9 | Guard
6'2" (1.88m)
203lb (92kg)
LAST ATTENDED
December 30, 1997
6'2" | 203lb | 26 years
Latest Videos
Smith on his mindset and contributions to the team as point guard
Smith speaks about playing point guard and getting the guys in their spots
Smith contributes to tonight's win with 15 points and 2 assists, smith with he hook lob to cain for dunk, heat's young players making the most of their opportunity and giving you some names to remember, last 5 game s, player news.
11/24/2023, 8:11 PM
Season over
The Heat announced Friday that Smith (knee) is expected to miss the remainder of the season, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.
11/23/2023, 7:34 PM
Out Friday, getting MRI
Smith (knee) is out for Friday's matchup against the Knicks and will be getting an MRI that day, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
11/23/2023, 1:37 AM
Suffers knee injury, ruled out
Smith won't return to Wednesday's game against the Cavaliers due to a right knee injury.
Explore More Players on the Heat
- 2017 Mock Draft
- 2016 Mock Draft
- 2015 Mock Draft
- Complete Draft History
- Draft Lottery History
- 2020 Live Picks And Analysis
- Latest Articles
- NCAA Draft Prospects
- Intl Draft Prospects
- High School
- General Draft Commentary
- NBA Pre-Draft Camp
- Site announcements
- Most Viewed
- Scouting Reports
- NBA Draft Workouts
- NBA Player Salaries
- NBA Players Agent List
- NCAA TV Schedule
- Historical Draft Breakdown By Pick
- Historical Draft Breakdown By Team
- Draft Pick Expectations
- My DraftExpress
Latest results
- Privacy Policy
- Staff Opportunities
- HT/WT 6' 2", 203 lbs
- Birthdate 12/30/1997 (26)
- College Missouri
- Experience 1st Season
Switch Player
Heat quick links, nba quick links, recent games, racing positions.
- Brianna Williams
- Dave McMenamin
- Alex Kennedy
- Tim Bontemps
- Andrew Lopez
Fantasy Men's Basketball
Latest videos, dru smith shows off vision with nice dish vs. minnesota timberwolves, find tickets, 2023-24 southeast standings.
- Terms of Use
- Privacy Policy
- Your US State Privacy Rights
- Children's Online Privacy Policy
- Interest-Based Ads
- About Nielsen Measurement
- Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
- Disney Ad Sales Site
- Work for ESPN
- Corrections
- Sports Reference ®
- Football (college)
- Basketball (college)
- Stathead ®
- Immaculate Grid
- Questions or Comments?
- Welcome · Your Account
- Ad-Free Login
- Create Account
- Full Site Menu Below
Dru Smith ▪ Twitter : dru_smith_12 ▪ Instagram: dru_smith
Position: Shooting Guard ▪ Shoots: Right
6-3 , 203lb (190cm, 92kg)
Born: December 30 , 1997 in Evansville, Indiana us
Colleges: University of Evansville , Missouri
High School: Memorial in Evansville, Indiana
NBA Debut: October 26, 2022
Experience: 1 year
Dru Smith Overview
Other Dru Smith Pages
- Game Finder
- Streak Finder
- Span Finder
- Shot Finder
- Event Finder
- Quarter Finder
- Teammates & Opponents
- Compare Dru Smith to other players
More Dru Smith pages at Sports Reference
- College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
- G-Lg Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Game-by-game stat line for the player
Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. home/away, monthly, etc...
Player shooting history
Player lineups
Player on/off
More Dru Smith Basketball Reference pages
2023-24 Heat (30-25, 7th place in NBA Eastern Conference)
Last Game : W 109-104 at PHI
Next Game : Friday, Feb. 23 at NOP
Full Schedule and Results
- Bam Adebayo
- Jamaree Bouyea
- Thomas Bryant
- Jimmy Butler
- R.J. Hampton
- Tyler Herro
- Haywood Highsmith
- Jaime Jaquez Jr.
- Nikola Jović
- Caleb Martin
- Josh Richardson
- Duncan Robinson
- Orlando Robinson
- Terry Rozier
- Cole Swider
- Alondes Williams
Show entire roster
On this page:
Last 5 Games
Per 36 minutes, per 100 poss, adjusted shooting, play-by-play, college stats, transactions, current contract, frequently asked questions, full site menu.
Next Game: Friday, February 23rd vs NOP ( Dru Smith Stats vs. NOP ) More: Game Log • Advanced Game Log • Splits • Shooting • Lineups • On-Off
Player Injury
Out For Season (Knee) - Dru Smith has been diagnosed with a 3rd degree right knee sprain. He will be out for the remainder of the season. (Updated Nov.24, 2023)
- Bold indicates league leader
View on stats.nba.com
Player news.
- Add Your Blog Posts Here
- Player News Archive
- Player News RSS Feed
- 2/19 HoopsRumors: Heat Sign Guard Delon Wright : The Heat have signed guard Delon Wright, according to a team press ...
- 2/18 HoopsRumors: Heat Notes: Love, Williams, Wright, Jaquez : There were reasons to believe Kevin Love‘s career might ...
- 2/18 Last Word on Sports: NBA Rumors: What Is Next For Pelicans After Promoting Young Veteran Forward? : The New Orleans Pelicans officially added Jeremiah Robinson-Earl ...
- 2/16 HoopsRumors: Delon Wright Agrees To Buyout With Wizards, Plans To Sign With Heat : Veteran guard Delon Wright has reached an agreement on a contract ...
- 2/12 Last Word on Sports: NBA Rumors: Malcolm Brogdon, Sasha Vezenkov, Josh Richardson and Terry Rozier Projected Returns : Several key NBA player injuries were updated today. NBA Rumors: ...
- Play-by-play data available for the 1996-97 through 2023-24 seasons.
- Shot location data available for the 1996-97 through 2023-24 seasons.
- Click Season link for player's season game log Click value for box score or list of games Search Dru Smith's game log history
- More College Stats on SR/CBB · underline indicates incomplete record
September 10, 2021 : Signed a contract with the Miami Heat .
October 16, 2021 : Waived by the Miami Heat .
September 20, 2022 : Signed a contract with the Miami Heat .
October 13, 2022 : Signed a two-way contract with the Miami Heat .
November 13, 2022 : Waived by the Miami Heat .
November 25, 2022 : Signed a two-way contract with the Miami Heat .
December 11, 2022 : Waived by the Miami Heat .
January 13, 2023 : Signed a two-way contract with the Brooklyn Nets .
July 1, 2023 : Signed a two-way contract with the Miami Heat .
October 21, 2023 : Converted from a two-way contract to a regular contract by the Miami Heat .
- Player Option , Team Option   · NBA Contracts Summary
- Waived Saturday, October 16, 2021.
- 2021-22 is not guaranteed.
- Signed 1-yr/$925,258 contract Friday, September 10, 2021.
How old is Dru Smith?
Dru Smith is 26 years old.
Where was Dru Smith born?
Dru Smith was born in Evansville, Indiana.
When was Dru Smith born?
Dru Smith was born on December 30, 1997.
How tall is Dru Smith?
Dru Smith is 6-3 (190 cm) tall.
How much does Dru Smith weigh?
Dru Smith weighs 203 lbs (92 kg).
What position does Dru Smith play?
Shooting Guard.
How much does Dru Smith make?
Dru Smith made in 2023.
What does Dru Smith average?
Dru Smith averages 4.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game.
What is Dru Smith's Twitter account?
Dru Smith is on Twitter at dru_smith_12 .
What is Dru Smith's Instagram account?
Dru Smith is on Instagram at dru_smith .
What schools did Dru Smith attend?
Dru Smith attended Memorial in Evansville, Indiana , University of Evansville and Missouri .
Is Dru Smith injured?
Dru Smith is listed as Out For Season (Knee) - Dru Smith has been diagnosed with a 3rd degree right knee sprain. He will be out for the remainder of the season.
More Smith Pages
- Return to Top
- Players In the News : V. Wembanyama , L. James , K. Durant , J. Embiid , J. Harden , S. Curry , L. Dončić ... All-Time Greats : E. Hayes , J. Stockton , H. Olajuwon , W. Chamberlain , D. Schayes , J. Havlicek ... Active Greats : L. James , G. Antetokounmpo , C. Paul , J. Harden , S. Curry , K. Durant ...
- Teams Atlantic : Toronto , Boston , New York , Brooklyn , Philadelphia Central : Cleveland , Indiana , Detroit , Chicago , Milwaukee Southeast : Miami , Atlanta , Charlotte , Washington , Orlando Northwest : Oklahoma City , Portland , Utah , Denver , Minnesota Pacific : Golden State , Los Angeles Clippers , Sacramento , Phoenix , Los Angeles Lakers Southwest : San Antonio , Dallas , Memphis , Houston , New Orleans
- Seasons 2023-24 , 2022-23 , 2021-22 , 2020-21 , 2019-20 , 2018-19 , 2017-18 ...
- Leaders Season Points , Career Rebounds , Active Assists , Yearly Steals , Progressive Blocks ... Or, view "Trailers" for Season Field Goal Pct , or Career Blocks Per Game
- NBA Scores Yesterday's Games and Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history
- NBA Schedules Team Schedules and League Schedules
- NBA Standings Today's Standings and Standings for any date in history
- Stathead Player Finders : Season Finder , Game Finder , Streak Finder , Span Finder Team Finders : Season Finder , Game Finder , Streak Finder , Span Finder Other Finders : Versus Finder (NEW) , Shot Finder
- Coaches Richie Guerin , Rudy Tomjanovich , Jim O'Brien , Mike Fratello , Alvin Gentry ...
- Awards NBA MVP , All-NBA , Defensive Player of the Year , Rookie of the Year , All-Rookie , Hall of Fame ...
- NBA Contracts Main Index , Team Payrolls , Player Contracts , Glossary ...
- Playoffs 2023 NBA Playoffs , 2022 NBA Playoffs , 2021 NBA Playoffs , 2020 NBA Playoffs , 2019 NBA Playoffs , 2018 NBA Playoffs , 2017 NBA Playoffs , Playoffs Series History ...
- All-Star Games 2023 All-Star Game , 2022 All-Star Game , 2021 All-Star Game , 2020 All-Star Game , 2019 All-Star Game , 2018 All-Star Game ...
- NBA Draft 2023 Draft , 2022 Draft , 2021 Draft , 2020 Draft , 2019 Draft , 2018 Draft , 2017 Draft ...
- Frivolities Players who played for multiple teams (WNBA) , Birthdays , Colleges , High Schools , Milestone Watch ...
- Executives R.C. Buford , Wayne Embry , Stan Kasten , Danny Ainge , Don Nelson ...
- Referees Joe Forte , Tony Brothers , Dan Crawford , Ron Olesiak , David Jones ...
- G League Stats Players , Teams , Seasons , Leaders , Awards ...
- International Basketball Stats Players , Teams , Seasons , Leaders , Awards ...
- WNBA Players , Teams , Seasons , Leaders , Awards , All-Star Games , Executives ...
- NBL Players , Teams , Seasons , Leaders , Awards ...
- About Glossary , Contact and Media Information , Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball ...
- Immaculate Grid (Men's) and Immaculate Grid (Women's) Put your basketball knowledge to the test with our daily basketball trivia games. Can you complete the grids?
- Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles
We're Social...for Statheads
Every Sports Reference Social Media Account
Site Last Updated: Sunday, February 18, 8:04PM
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction?
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter
Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE Your All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database
Do you have a sports website? Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Find out more.
FAQs, Tip & Tricks
- Tips and Tricks from our Blog.
- Do you have a blog? Join our linker program.
- Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead
- Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine
All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos.
Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net.
Copyright © 2000-2024 Sports Reference LLC . All rights reserved.
- Instant Analysis
- 2024 Mock Draft
- 2025 Mock Draft
- Consensus Mock Draft
- My Mock Drafts
- Create Your Own Mock Draft
- Actual Drafts
- Outstanding Trades
- Search Players
- By Position
- Big Board: Top 100
- NCAA Players
- High School Players
- International Players
12 - Dru Smith
Per 40 minutes, related news.
- Former Evansville guard Dru Smith transfers to Missouri – NBC Sports/Raphielle Johnson: 04/27/2018
- Missouri and Evansville engage in public battle over Dru Smith transfer waiver – NBC Sports/Scott Phillips: 10/31/2018
Related Content
- 2021 NBA Draft Early Entry List Updated (International Withdrawals) – 07/20/2021
- 2021 NBA Draft Early Entry List – 06/02/2021
- New account
Forgot your password?
Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive mail with link to set new password.
Back to login
- CBSSports.com
- Fanatics Sportsbook
- CBS Sports Home
- Champions League
- Motor Sports
- High School
- Horse Racing
Fantasy Baseball
College Pick'em
Fantasy football, football pick'em, fantasy basketball, fantasy hockey, franchise games, 24/7 sports news network.
- CBS Sports Golazo Network
- PGA Tour on CBS
- College Basketball on CBS
- UEFA Champions League
- UEFA Europa League
- Italian Serie A
- Watch CBS Sports Network
- TV Shows & Listings
The Early Edge
A Daily SportsLine Betting Podcast
NFL Playoff Time!
- Podcasts Home
- Eye On College Basketball
- The First Cut Golf
- NFL Pick Six
- Cover 3 College Football
- Fantasy Football Today
- Morning Kombat
- My Teams Organize / See All Teams Help Account Settings Log Out
Heat's Dru Smith: Upgraded to standard contract
The Heat signed Smith to a multi-year standard NBA contract Saturday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
After making 15 NBA appearances in 2022-23 between the Heat and Nets and averaging 2.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 10.5 minutes, Smith re-signed with Miami on a two-way pact in July. The Heat had an opening on the 15-man roster, and Smith will ultimately step in to fill the void while Miami keeps Cole Swider, R.J. Hampton and Jamal Cain as its three two-way players heading into the start of the regular season. It's unclear if Smith will open the season with a regular spot in head coach Erik Spoelstra's rotation.
Heat's Dru Smith: Season over
Heat's dru smith: out friday, getting mri, heat's dru smith: suffers knee injury, ruled out, heat's dru smith: cleared to play, heat's dru smith: out with hamstring issue, heat's dru smith: puts up 13 points in loss, our latest fantasy basketball stories.
Fantasy Basketball Week 17 Start/Sit
Alex rikleen • 4 min read.
Post-Trade Deadline Results
Alex barutha • 7 min read.
Week 17 starts/sits: Top NBA fantasy plays
Adam king • 4 min read, waiver wire week 17, alex rikleen • 15 min read, pre-nba trade deadline buy low, sell high, week 16 starts/sits: top nba fantasy plays.
Reitz, Missouri standout Dru Smith works out for Kings, Celtics leading into NBA Draft
It’s been such a whirlwind for Dru Smith leading into the NBA Draft that nothing will really sink in for him until it's all over.
Smith had a few free moments at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport for a phone interview on Monday. He was about to depart for Boston – en route to a workout with the Celtics on Tuesday.
He realizes it’s unlikely he will be taken in the two-round NBA Draft on Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. .
“There’s almost no chance,” said Smith, a former Reitz High School standout who earned first-team all-Southeastern Conference honors playing for the University of Missouri in 2020-21.
However, he hopes his performance working out with the Sacramento Kings and the Celtics will enable him to land a spot with an NBA summer league team.
If it doesn’t work on with an NBA summer team, he hopes to play pro ball overseas.
“That’s definitely still an option,” he said.
More: Reitz grad, Missouri standout Dru Smith named First Team All-SEC
Early last week, he was stuck at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport for 12 hours and missed his connecting flight to Sacramento. Such is the life of an NBA prospect.
Smith made it to Sacramento later in the week.
He went through drills in which his vertical leap was measured and three-quarter court sprint was timed.
“We also did more basketball stuff,” said Smith, a 6-foot-3, 203-pound guard who began his college career at the University of Evansville, but left following his sophomore season after Marty Simmons was fired. “We did a lot of shooting and played 3-on-3.”
More: Missouri's defensive dynamo Dru Smith leads local NCAA tournament contingent
Another player of area interest invited to the Kings' camp was former University of Kentucky player Quade Green, who finished his college career at Washington.
“Most of the coaching staff was there, but not (Kings head coach) Luke Walton,” Smith said.
Leading into the workout, Smith was nervous.
“But once you’re in there, it’s just basketball,” he said.
Smith, of course, watched Brad Stevens lead Butler to back-to-back berths in the NCAA championship game in 2010 and ’11. Stevens, currently the Celtics director of operations, guided them to the Eastern Conference finals as head coach in 2017, '18 and '20.
“Both are different situations,” Smith said. “I’ll do what I can do to make it.”
Smith prepared for the tryouts by working out with former Reitz teammate Alex Stein at the University of Southern Indiana.
“Obviously it was fun,” Smith said. “It’s nice that we’re all getting a chance. We worked to make each other better.”
Stein, who played in the NBA G-League with the Canton Charge, hopes to play overseas.
Smith wouldn’t say who won most of the one-and-one battles.
“It was back and forth,” he said.
Smith and Stein lifted Reitz to the Class 4A state championship game in 2015. Stein went on to spark USI to the NCAA Division II semifinals in '19 at Ford Center and became the Eagles' all-time leading scorer.
Regarded as a defensive stopper, Smith blossomed offensively to the point where he paced Missouri in scoring (14.3 points per game) last winter as well as assists (3.5) and steals (2.1). He sparked the Tigers to a berth in the NCAA tournament and a 16-10 record.
Smith, who earned his bachelor’s degree in finance, joked that he used his basketball IQ to compensate for lesser athleticism than some of his SEC rivals. Of course, the challenge is even tougher at the NBA level.
“I just work hard,” he said. “That’s really all I can do.”
He’s obviously a little modest. He has a tremendous wingspan and great anticipation on defense and continually improved his game offensively through the years.
All the way to NBA tryouts.
Contact Gordon Engelhardt at [email protected] or on Twitter @EngGordon
Filed under:
- Mizzou Basketball
What can Dru Smith do? A bit of everything.
The Evansville transfer’s diverse offensive skill set, unflappable demeanor, and sound decision-making are just what Mizzou can use at lead guard.
Share this story
- Share this on Facebook
- Share this on Twitter
- Share this on Reddit
- Share All sharing options
Share All sharing options for: What can Dru Smith do? A bit of everything.
To see a snippet of why Missouri coveted Dru Smith , cue up a clip from an otherwise innocuous win in January 2018. Late in the second half, the point guard hunches over at the top of the key, using his left hip to shield his dribble. He scans the right side of the floor, watching Dalen Traore set a screen for Ryan Taylor , juking right and selling a fake backdoor cut. Instead, Taylor bolts left, peeling around Traore and slicing toward the elbow – finding a simple bounce pass from Smith arriving in his mitts.
Taylor rises, snaps his wrist, and watches his jumper splash through.
Nothing about the assist is gaudy. Smith surveyed the floor, read the action and made a prudent decision. Watch enough footage, though, and that trait becomes the one that jumps off your laptop screen.
It’s also what drove me to pester Synergy Sports and swamp their help desk with e-mails. My subscription, I was told, only afforded me access to the reams of analytics they churn out. Understanding Smith’s essentialness, though, meant pulling up more than 470 clips stashed in a digital vault.
Since late April of 2018, we’ve had to surmise what the transfer might bring using a three-minute reel and spreadsheets. Until recently. For the past month, I’ve been sifting through the trove of video to understand why the Smith might be the missing element as coach Cuonzo Martin enters his third season at the helm in Columbia.
Affixing the label of ‘game manager’ to a player often takes on a derogatory connotation. Not for Smith. In his case, it’s high praise. If you need spot-up shooting, he can knock in jumpers off kick-outs. He can carve out space running off screens. As a driver, he can deploy an arsenal of head fakes and deft footwork to find space in a canopy of long arms. And at the defensive end, savviness and toughness offset average agility.
Smith should shore up shaky ball-handling — MU’s biggest issue under Martin — and grant his new coach maximum flexibility in crafting lineups. Meanwhile, his unruffled and steady persona is one you hope infuses the roster.
For now, a cloak of anonymity still shrouds the point guard, but it’s possible to peak behind the veil, one that will be lifted if Smith makes Mizzou a contender in the SEC race.
Five Things to Love About Dru
The low Q-rating makes sense once you understand Smith’s path to Columbia.
Growing up in Evansville, Smith spent his prep career at Reitz High School, whose program was solid but unspectacular in basketball-mad Indiana. On the grassroots circuit, he stuck with a local program in Pocket City Basketball, which meant spending the spring and summers away from events sponsored by shoe companies. For the most part, his college suitors were local mid-majors: Indiana State, Ball State and Evansville.
Meanwhile, his game never hinged on raw athleticism. As Smith mulled over his options last spring, N.D. Kendrick, who coached for Pocket City, told me the point guard’s smarts, sense of pace, and toughness defined his game. For example, Smith would draw the toughest defensive assignment for Pocket City — even if it meant scrapping in the paint. “We’d have him guarding centers,” Kendrick told me back then, “And he held up.” The same tenacity served Smith well at Reitz, where he played at the top of the Panthers’ press.
So when Smith initially picked the Purple Aces, a five-minute commute east along Lloyd Expressway, the question wasn’t whether he’d fit into Marty Simmons’ system. Instead, it was just a matter of how soon.
During his sophomore season, Smith posted 13.7 points, dished out 4.6 assists and swiped 2.0 steals per game. However, his nagging plantar fasciitis eventually ruptured. Total, recurring foot injuries robbed him of nine games, including six in Missouri Valley Conference play. When you look at Evansville’s net rating with Smith on the floor — 13 points per 100 possessions — it’s evident how keenly his absence mattered. No other regular rotation player was within spitting distance.
On-Court Impact | Evansville — 2017-18
While Loyola Chicago ran away with the conference title, the rest of the race was compacted. Seven teams finished within three games of each other, and there’s a compelling case that the Purple Aces would have finished closer to 10-8 than 7-11 with a healthy Smith in the lineup. Had that unfolded, it’s possible UE would have retained Simmons — and Smith, too.
Instead, the school hit the refresh button, and Smith sought a new home.
Moving on not only meant leaving the cocoon of Southwest Indiana, but a stark stylistic shift. Over 11 seasons, Simmons led his alma mater using a vintage scheme. Today, pace, space and, spread pick-and-rolls are in fashion, but Evansville kept running the same motion offense Simmons learned from Jim Crews, a protege of Indiana’s Bobby Knight.
Instead of erecting an offense out of sets, the motion imparts screening and cutting principles, which become second nature the longer a player is in the program. Eventually, a quintet’s chemistry, a scouting report and an ability to read the defense dictate the action. If you turned your eye to the sideline, Simmons wasn’t constantly barking out sets. Instead, he’d be pacing with arms folded. On any given possession, he wouldn’t know the precise order of operations.
The upshot is that scouting a motion-based squad can be imprecise. Aside from a short call sheet, isolating specific actions and personnel is difficult when any player on the floor can screen, cut and pass. On top of that, Simmons’ teams played at a controlled tempo, putting opponents through a meat grinder of screens that played out over long possessions.
At some point, a poor switch or drifting attention creates a situation the Purple Aces can exploit. Since 2010, only Wofford has been more reliant on off-ball screening since 2010, while familiar names such as Davidson and Virginia also pop up around Evansville.
Evansville | Offensive Profile — 2010-2018
Usually, there might be questions about Smith’s fit with a Missouri program looking to model itself on modern attacks used by the likes of Fred Hoiberg or Jay Wright. If you look at the table, you’ll also notice the point guard operated in an offense that rarely asked him to create out of pick-and-rolls. However, assistant coach Chris Hollender, who played for Crews at Evansville and spent time several seasons on Simmons’ staff, has a background that should ease any nerves.
While MU put in a waiver request to get Smith eligible immediately, the NCAA nixed the request. To a degree, that might have been a boon. Instead of being pressed into service, Smith had an entire season behind closed doors to translate his game, especially playing out of ball screens.
Upon further review, he also came equipped with five ways to fit into MU’s plan.
1. Stepping out—into high ball screens
While Evansville rarely utilized on-ball screens, they were a timely hack when its motion bogged down. Late in the shot clock, a big stepped out, usually from the strong-side elbow, set a screen in the channel and let Smith go to work.
The allure is they’re not difficult to install, while the defense might be disoriented and worn down. Smith excelled in these situations, punishing defenders who tried to cheat under the screen, knocking down 60 percent of his pull-up jumpers. And among Division I players, Smith ranked third nationally in efficiency on dribble jumpers, posting 1.688 points per possession, according to Synergy Sports.
But when Smith does turn the corner, he gets to his spots under control and changing speeds.
Take the possession against Valparaiso, which is in the montage. After Traore screens at the left elbow, Smith initially rejects the screen before working back to his left and turning tight around his big man’s hip. Notice how the floor is overloaded, and the only obstacle is a big man stationed at the nail. Smith throws on the breaks, freezes the defender in drop coverage, gets by and then uses the rim as a shield.
2. It’s a drag... ball screen
When Mizzou hired Cornell Mann, Martin touted the assistant coach as bringing an NBA-inspired scheme with him from Iowa State, where he’d served on Hoiberg’s staff.
Part of the playbook entails using drag screens, dribble handoffs and weaves early in a possession. Again, the design is rudimentary. When a point guard brings the ball up, he veers toward a big, who has set a screen at the top of the key. Meanwhile, guards are spaced on each wing, while a mobile post player camps out in the short corner.
The decision tree is natural, too.
If the opposing forward switches onto Smith, he drives down the lane, where he can attack the rim, hit the rolling big, or dump the ball off to the dunker. Sometimes, an opposing guard stunts in from the wing, but it creates an easy kick-out to a spot-up shooter. Or the guard can skip all those options: pull-up from behind the 3-point arc and let fire.
Dru Smith | High Pick-and-Roll Passing — 2018
In Simmons’ final season on the job, the use of drag screens was a small concession to modernity. The offense Smith will orchestrate in Columbia, though, could use them far more liberally. MU has a trio of big men — Jeremiah Tilmon , Tray Jackson and Kobe Brown — with the athleticism, footwork and soft hands to be prime pick-and-roll partners.
Again, the sample size of possessions is small, but Smith posted a solid efficiency rating as a passer in these situations, especially when dishing the ball (1.231 PPP) to shooters. That should be good news for Mark Smith and Torrence Watson . We’ve also been waiting to see MU perk up the pace, and while I don’t expect the Tigers to play at a dead sprint, having ball-handlers capable of attacking early in possessions can achieve a similar affect.
3. Ole Reliable: the catch-and-shoot
During the editing process, I wound up with a batch of clips showcasing Evansville facing zone defenses. Obviously, having shooters who can punish a collapsed defense is an asset, but it’s also a bet made by the opponent.
When you come across the possession against Bradley, you can see the value in having a spot-up threat. The Purple Aces keep rolling through screening actions, a cascade of switches that slowly warp the defensive shell. The instant a defender gambles, such as briefly pinching in and leaving Smith uncovered, UE punishes you.
Dru Smith | Catch-and-Shoot Jumpers — 2018
An open question is how often MU will utilize Smith as a secondary creator and have him operating off the ball. Two seasons at Evansville likely mean he’s more than comfortable in those situations. However, he only attacked closeouts six times out of spot-ups, hinting that he might be slightly one dimensional.
4. Pinning Dru Down
Distilling Evansville’s offense to its essence is impossible, but one action might be as good a representation as you’ll find: the curl. The sequence is straightforward, too.
Typically, a pair of bigs set staggered screen parallel to one side of the lane, while a guard fakes ducking back door and sprints toward the arc and veers into the lane at the elbow. The beauty of the curl is you can run it at any point in a possession and present a passer at the key with an easy read.
And as I pointed out earlier, any of the Purple Aces’ guards is capable of executing it. In the case of Smith, the curl is also representative of his ability to use screens in assorted ways, whether it’s a flare, pindown or staggers along the baseline. For those listening carefully, Martin has explicitly stated that MU doesn’t slot its guards into particular positions and each needs to have a diverse skillset.
Spending two seasons in Simmons’ motion engrained and refined Smith’s feel for playing off the ball. While he’s slightly more efficient coming off to this left, posting 1.174 PPP, Smith still shot 51.4 percent (18 of 35) when utilizing screens.
5. Surveying his options
Evaluating Smith’s ability as a passer also offers a tour of Evansville’s approach. Notice how often the guard is stationary and scanning actions in front of him. Is the back cut open? Is there an alley to whip a pass to an uncovered big? Should I hit the man curling at the elbow or the one coming off a pindown?
Make no mistake, there are plenty of possessions where Smith picks the right teammate out of the crowd, but what’s equally impressive is how often he makes the simple play.
Over half the assists I watched were instances where he simply made an extra pass to an open shooter, often passing up opportunities to take shots in rhythm against a late closeout. And sometimes, the play was simply finding a teammate flashing into the soft middle of a zone defense.
Now, the question is how well that discerning eye and prudence translates when putting the ball on the floor. That might be a a more pressing matter if Smith wasn’t coming off what amounts to a gap year spent mastering MU’s system.
In Simmons’ system, player movement warps a defense, while his point guard’s judgment is a crucial commodity. While MU doesn’t play at a breakneck speed, the Tigers are uptempo relative to Smith’s old team, and its offense asks him to use the same prudence while putting the ball on the floor.
In This Stream
2019 mizzou basketball preseason.
- Rock M Nation’s Staff Basketball Preview
- What can Dru Smith do for Mizzou? A bit of everything
- Mizzou Basketball Position Preview: Point Guard
Pourover: The one where everything goes wrong
Despite sean east ii’s return, missouri drops its 12th straight, this time to mississippi, live game thread: mizzou looks for long-awaited salvation against ole miss.
For premium support please call:
- Subscriptions
- Entertainment
- Home & Garden new
- Lighter Side
- Online Classes
Dru Smith, competing for roster spot, explains why he keeps coming back to Heat
For some players, it takes one training camp and preseason to earn an NBA roster spot. For guard Dru Smith, he’s hoping the third time is the charm.
Smith is a familiar face, taking part in his third consecutive training camp and preseason with the Miami Heat this year. He’s currently occupying one of the Heat’s three two-way contract slots, but the goal is to make the Heat convert his two-way deal to a standard contract through his play this preseason.
“I think it’s just, one, their developmental program, and two, just the way that they go at things,” Smith said of why he keeps returning to the Heat after being waived by the organization multiple times in the last two seasons. “I think that they give you real opportunities no matter what your name is, no matter where you came from. I think that they truly evaluate talent and evaluate how you affect winning. If you’re doing that in a positive way, then you’re going to get a chance to play.”
Smith, 25, first arrived to the Heat after going undrafted in 2021 out of Missouri. After spending a chunk of his first season in the Heat’s player development program in the G League, Smith began last season on a two-way deal with the Heat and then signed a two-way contract with the Brooklyn Nets in January before eventually returning to a two-way deal with the Heat this past summer.
But Smith is hoping to earn a standard contract for the first time in his NBA career this time around, as two-way deals have proven to only be a temporary solution for him. Two-way contracts, which pay half the NBA rookie minimum and do not count toward the salary cap or luxury tax, allow for players to be on their NBA team’s active list for as many as 50 regular-season games with other game action having to come in the G League.
“I think I feel more comfortable just within our offense, in general,” Smith said when asked how he’s better this season. “Just getting us into things that we need to get guys the ball in spots that they want to have the ball in and just understanding where that ball needs to go. When to try to make plays to get other guys involved. I think I just have a little bit better understanding of that.”
With the Heat playing its third of five preseason games on Sunday night against the Memphis Grizzlies at Kaseya Center, Smith has struggled to produce efficient results so far. He has averaged 7.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, three assists and two steals per game while shooting just 5 of 16 (31.3 percent) from the field and 0 of 3 on threes in the Heat’s first two preseason games, and was ruled out for Sunday’s contest because of a hamstring injury.
Smith, who is working to prove he can be a reliable point guard option for the Heat, also has six assists to eight turnovers in the first two preseason contests.
But Smith has impressed Heat coaches behind the scenes in practices since the start of training camp.
“He really developed this grit and fortitude that we like and think is necessary,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said recently of Smith. “Each year that he’s come back to us, he’s come back better from all the experiences. Usually most guys, they’re too discouraged or they get upset at being transitioned several times and they just move on right at the point of finding success.
“But guys like Duncan [Robinson] or Rodney McGruder or guys that have stayed the course get exponentially better. Because of those experiences, it makes them unique. They just have this toughness and ability to compete and stay the course. He came across like a veteran in our training camp, which was fun to see.”
How does Smith, who is listed at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, describe himself as a point guard?
“I would definitely say pass first, more defensive minded,” Smith said. “Just going to try to make solid plays and make the right plays, get other guys involved. But also, be aggressive when that time comes and not pass anything up.”
With the Heat waiving Drew Peterson and Alondes Williams on Saturday from their tryout contracts, Smith is one of six players on the Heat’s current 19-man preseason roster still competing for the 14th spot on the regular-season roster. Fellow Heat two-way contract players Jamal Cain and R.J. Hampton, and Exhibit 10 tryout contract players Justin Champagnie, Cheick Diallo and Cole Swider are the others.
Among the Heat’s options with Smith by the Oct. 23 NBA regular-season roster deadline are keeping him on a two-way contract, converting his two-way deal to a standard contract to fill one of the vacant spots on its standard roster, or releasing him to make room for another developmental prospect.
One thing working in Smith’s favor: He plays a position of need for the Heat, with Kyle Lowry currently the only true point guard on the Heat’s standard regular-season roster.
“I think, obviously, all of us guys who are fighting for that last stop are just fighting to have an impact on this team, in general,” Smith said. “So I think I definitely see a role there. Just got to continue to try to do the right things.
“I’m just really grateful and really appreciative of the opportunities that I’ve been able to have, the chances that I have in front of me right now. After that, it’s in my hands but also it’s out of my hands. Whatever they decide to do, that’s what they decide to do. So I just have to go out there and try to play the best basketball that I can and let the rest fall where it may.”
INJURY REPORT
The Heat ruled out Hampton (right hip muscle strain), Smith (right hamstring strain), Caleb Martin (left knee tendinosis), Nikola Jovic (right knee contusion), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (left groin strain), Josh Richardson (left foot discomfort) and Jimmy Butler (dental procedure) for Sunday’s preseason game against the Grizzlies.
Spoelstra labeled all of the team’s injured players as day-to-day, with the Heat opening the regular season on Oct. 25 against the Detroit Pistons in Miami.
Advertisement
In Other News
Sydney sweeney came in hot to the 2024 people's choice awards in a sexy red gown, jeremy renner makes surprise appearance at 2024 people's choice awards, is the stock market open on presidents day details on 2024 holiday hours, nintendo shares slide on reports of delayed switch successor release, grandpa's 20 favorite appetizers, popeyes just brought back its fan-favorite fish sandwich, california k-9 finds pounds of meth hidden in dog treat boxes during traffic stop: po…, teen at indiana car wash sprays rude customer with water after lemonade thrown at her, nba all-star game live updates: east vs. west highlights, best moments, former president george w. bush receives blinged out chain at smu basketball game, flood watches issued as another round of wet winter storms hits california, northeast may face another winter storm this week following warmup.
- Skip to Navigation
- Skip to Main Content
- Skip to Related Content
- Today's news
- Climate change
- My portfolio
- My watchlist
- Stock market
- Biden economy
- Personal finance
- Stocks: most actives
- Stocks: gainers
- Stocks: losers
- Trending tickers
- World indices
- US Treasury bonds
- Top mutual funds
- Highest open interest
- Highest implied volatility
- Currency converter
- Basic materials
- Communication services
- Consumer cyclical
- Consumer defensive
- Financial services
- Industrials
- Real estate
- Mutual funds
- Credit card rates
- Balance transfer credit cards
- Business credit cards
- Cash back credit cards
- Rewards credit cards
- Travel credit cards
- Checking accounts
- Online checking accounts
- High-yield savings accounts
- Money market accounts
- Personal loans
- Student loans
- Car insurance
- Home buying
- Options pit
- Investment ideas
- Research reports
- Fantasy football
- Pro Pick 'Em
- College Pick 'Em
- Fantasy baseball
- Fantasy hockey
- Fantasy basketball
- Download the app
- Daily Fantasy
- Scores and schedules
- GameChannel
- World Baseball Classic
- Premier League
- CONCACAF League
- Champions League
- College football
- Horse racing
- Newsletters
Entertainment
- How To Watch
- Fall allergies
- Health news
- Mental health
- Sexual health
- Family health
- So mini ways
- Style and beauty
- Unapologetically
- Buying guides
- CA Privacy Notice
- Yahoo Sports AM
- Motorsports
- College Sports
- Fantasy Sports
- Horse Racing
- Scores/Schedules
- Trade Deadline News
- Wemby Watch
- Fantasy Basketball
- All-Star Game
- In-Season Tournament
Heat’s Dru Smith reflects on going from ‘this court’s kind of weird’ to devastating knee injury
MIAMI – Dru Smith isn’t going to say he saw it coming, as if there was some sort of premonition.
But hours before suffering a devastating season-ending knee injury Wednesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers , the second-year Miami Heat guard recognized he wasn’t on a level playing field.
Speaking to the Sun Sentinel before Saturday night’s Heat loss to the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center , with his right knee in a protective brace and while standing with the assist of a single crutch, Smith spoke of the moment that altered his season.
Unlike any other NBA court, the one at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse features a significant dropoff and gap in front of the team benches, the elevated court and resulting ledge an accommodation to spectator sightlines.
“I remember during walkthrough,” Smith, 25, said of the Heat’s game-day practice, “when I sat there to get ready for shootaround, just kind of thinking like, ‘Oh, this court’s kind of weird, the dropoff, just the separation between the bench and the court.’
“But, you know, when you’re playing, you’re not thinking about where I was going to land or if I was going to miss the court. I think that’s the only court that’s like that, really.”
Even though that hazzard was not out of sight, Smith put it out of mind.
So when former Heat teammate Max Strus set up for a 3-pointer in front of the Cavaliers’ bench, instinct took over in the form of an aggressive closeout.
“I had no idea,” Smith said of the inherent risk. “I just went to contest, obviously. We all know Max is a great shooter. So just trying to be as disruptive as I could on the contest.
“And when I flew by, my left foot landed and my right foot went between the chair and the bench. As soon as it happened, I knew what happened. I knew I just fell into that little hole.”
In that moment, even before the diagnosis of a Grade 3 ACL sprain of his right knee, Smith realized something was very wrong.
“I knew,” he said in a measured but frustrated tone. “I would say I knew right away it wasn’t good. I didn’t know exactly obviously what was going on. But I just knew it wasn’t good.”
Smith knew because he has been here before, albeit not to this degree. In February 2022, while playing for the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Skyforce, he suffered a season-ending knee injury. That year, he was able to make it back to the Heat’s summer-league roster.
Now he first must wait for surgery, with another timetable to follow.
“I’ve got to wait a little bit before I can even go under, just because there were a couple more things that were beat up in there,” he said. “So just have to wait for certain things to heal before I can get the surgery, and then I can go from there.”
Since going undrafted out of Missouri in 2021 despite an All-SEC and All-Defensive resume, the grind has been relentless, with the Heat and the Heat’s G League affiliate and with the Nets and the Nets’ G League affiliate.
And now, because of trying to do the right thing and winding up in the wrong place, the only such wrong place in the NBA, it’s all on hold.
“I’m frustrated, obviously,” he said. “I never want to be in this position. But it’s the hand that God gave me right now. So just trying to come to terms with that.”
Related Articles
Miami Heat | ASK IRA: Did NBA’s scheduling diminish Heat’s chances?
Miami Heat | Ira Winderman: Lament Lillard if you must, but the Heat answer isn’t a Zach attack
Miami Heat | Heat come to end of road without Butler, Adebayo in 112-97 loss to Nets
Miami Heat | Winderman’s view: Nothing wrong with Heat at 10-7 after 12 of first 17 on road
If there is solace, it’s that the season-ending injury guaranteed Smith’s $1.8 million salary for the season, where there previously was a $425,000 guarantee in place.
“It’s good that it is,” he said. “But at the same time, that’s not really what I’m here for. I’m here to play basketball and prove that I belong in this league and that I can have an impact in this league.”
As for speculation of action against the Cavaliers, the Heat expressed their concerns to the NBA, without a formal complaint, per se.
For his part, Smith said he has other concerns at the moment.
“I haven’t thought anything about that,” he said. “No, I have no idea about any stuff like that. That’s not where my head is at all.”
Where he wants to be is where he was before it all went over the smallest but severest cliff.
“I feel like I was in a good spot,” he said of earning minutes with the Heat. “I was just looking forward to just continuing to be trusted with the minutes here and there, wherever that was going to be. And I think the more I was playing, the more comfortable I was getting. So I was just really comfortable with that.
“But that’s not how this year is going to go for me.”
Recommended Stories
Will zalatoris, following sudden death of a family member, moving in ‘right direction’ after genesis invitational.
Will Zalatoris revealed on Sunday that a close family member died unexpectedly on Thursday. “This whole week was for her.”
NBA All-Star Game 2024: Score, highlights and live updates
Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James face off once again as the captains and leading vote-getters from their respective conferences.
Hideki Matsuyama uses remarkable late surge to overtake Patrick Cantlay, win Genesis Invitational
Hideki Matsuyama pulled out two ridiculous shots and nearly matched the course record at Riviera Country Club on Sunday afternoon.
2024 Daytona 500: Race postponed to Monday; TV channels, streaming, starting grid, news, odds and more
The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season begins in earnest this weekend with its biggest race of the year
Unranked Ohio State flusters Zach Edey, upends No. 2 Purdue days after firing head coach Chris Holtmann
Ohio State defenders worked to deny Edey the ball in the post, then forced multiple turnovers when he was able to corral it.
Fantasy Hockey Trade Analyzer: Good time to buy low on Cam Talbot
As players gain and lose ice time, check out this breakdown of five players who are candidates to be dealt or acquired.
Fantasy Basketball Trade Analyzer: Does the Rozier deal mean it's time to sell high on Jimmy Butler?
Whether trading an NBA superstar or acquiring a player gaining minutes, fantasy basketball managers should check out these players who could be on the move.
As 76ers hold their breath on Joel Embiid, so do fantasy basketball managers
Joel Embiid's timetable to return from a knee injury is unclear, leaving the 76ers and fantasy managers with problems.
Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: Make a royal pickup with David Rittich
Scott Pianowski uncovers six players who could be valuable additions to your roster for the stretch run, headlined by a backup goalie getting his chance.
One analyst's top fantasy baseball draft targets for the 2024 MLB season
Fred Zinkie reveals 10 players projected for solid seasons who are good values as fantasy drafts approach.
Are the Green Bay Packers fantasy football's next powerhouse offense?
Jorge Martin presents the case for the young and talented Green Bay Packers as an offense fantasy managers should target next season.
The Fantasy Hockey All-Star Team of the 2023-24 NHL season
With the NHL heading into its midseason break, it's a good time to look at who's been the best of the best in fantasy hockey thus far.
NBA All-Star Weekend: Adam Silver is 'pleased' with the state of the game, but the league is losing its balance
Silver discussed the NBA's recent scoring explosion on All-Star Saturday.
2024 NFL mock draft: With combine looming, QBs go 1-2-3 and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy goes to the Shanahan tree
The Patriots are the pivot point of this draft as they could go with their (new) QB of the future or one of the premium talents at a premium position like Marvin Harrison Jr. or one of the talented offensive tackles.
C.J. Stroud's agency tells NFL its prospects will skip all pre-draft cognition tests
"Our recent experience with these exams has been less than positive," the agency wrote in an e-mail to the league.
Divisional Round recap: Was this the Bills best shot? Is Brock Purdy early Tom Brady?
We may have witnessed the best weekend of football this season. Two instant classics and a storybook run for the ages in Detroit defined a Divisional round that leaves plenty to digest. Matt Harmon and Scott Pianowski break down all the long lasting ramifications from each of the four games and look ahead to a speculator slate for Championship Sunday.
March Madness prep: Who are the title contenders? Can UConn go back-to-back?
Here are 10 stretch-run storylines to watch to get you ready for March Madness.
Will Zalatoris wins cars for himself, caddie after hitting hole-in-one at Genesis Invitational
Will Zalatoris won the cars on the 184-yard par-3 14th hole at Riviera Country Club.
10 best players to watch this college basketball season
Who will be playing the starring role in March Madness this season? Here are 10 players to keep an eye on as the tournament draws closer.
Brittney Griner's No. 42 jersey retired at Baylor in emotional ceremony
Griner returned to Baylor for Sunday's ceremony, 12 years after leading the Bears to an undefeated national championship.
- Facebook Logo
- Copy Link Icon
Noah Clowney's Draft Scouting Report: Pro Comparison, Updated Nets Roster
Alabama freshman Noah Clowney is one of the most tantalizing high-upside prospects in the 2023 NBA draft, and the Brooklyn Nets are betting on his skill set after taking him with the No. 21 overall pick.
Bleacher Report Draft Expert Jonathan Wasserman's Scouting Report
Player : Noah Clowney
Position : PF
Height : 6'10"
Pro Comparison : Jalen Smith
Scouting Report : Age, inconsistency and limited off-the-dribble skill suggest Clowney is a few years away, but the combination of 6'10" size, shooting range, shot-blocking and active rebounding still create an enticing, valued archetype for patient coaches.
Nets Active Roster and 2023-24 Salary (Expiration Year)
Mikal Bridges, SF: $21.7M (2026)
Dorian Finney-Smith, PF, $13.4M (2026)
Ben Simmons, PG: $37.9M (2025)
Cameron Thomas, SG: $2.2M (2025)
Day'Ron Sharpe, C: $2.2M (2025)
Joe Harris, SG: $19.9M (2024)
Spencer Dinwiddie, PG: $18.9M (2024)
Royce O'Neale, SF: $9.5M (2024)
Nicolas Claxton, C: $8.8M (2024)
Patty Mills, PG: $6.8M (2024)
Edmond Sumner, $2.2M (2024)
Free Agents
Seth Curry, SG: UFA
Cameron Johnson, SF: RFA
Yuta Watanabe, SF: UFA
David Duke Jr., SG: RFA
Dru Smith, SG: RFA
The 18-year-old was a 4-star recruit out of Dorman High School (South Carolina) and committed to Alabama in November 2021. He was part of a loaded freshman class for head coach Nate Oats that included Brandon Miller, Jaden Bradley and Rylan Griffin.
While Miller was the clear standout on the court from that group, Clowney showed a lot of promise. He ranked third on the Crimson Tide in scoring average with 9.8 points per game and second with 7.9 rebounds.
Clowney is still very young (he won't turn 19 until July 14) and has already displayed tremendous two-way potential with long arms. But he needs to improve his shooting touch after making 64.9 percent of his free throws and 28.3 percent of his threes to become a star.
As long as the Nets are willing to take their time and give him the development time he needs, there's a realistic shot he could be the steal of the draft.
- All NBA Teams
- Philadelphia
- Golden State
- LA Clippers
- New Orleans
- Oklahoma City
- San Antonio
NBA rumors: Dru Smith out for the season
Injuries , Top Rumors
Top Rumors , Injuries , Dru Smith , Duncan Robinson , Miami Heat
February 18, 2024 | 9:36 pm EST Update
Lebron james heard about warriors' trade attempt for him when report leaked to media.
Trade , Top Rumors
Top Rumors , Trade , LeBron James , Golden State Warriors , Los Angeles Lakers
Draft , Uncategorized
Draft , Bronny James , LeBron James , Los Angeles Lakers
Draymond Green advised Warriors not to trade Jonathan Kuminga for LeBron James
Joe Lacob , Trade , Top Rumors
Top Rumors , Joe Lacob , Trade , Charles Barkley , Draymond Green , Jonathan Kuminga , LeBron James , Golden State Warriors , Los Angeles Lakers
Trade , Uncategorized
Trade , Draymond Green , LeBron James , Golden State Warriors , Los Angeles Lakers
Draymond Green: Jayson Tatum won't win MVP until he wins his first championship
Awards , MVP Race , Top Rumors
Top Rumors , Awards , MVP Race , Draymond Green , Jayson Tatum , Boston Celtics , Golden State Warriors
Bradley Beal underwent procedure on broken nose
Top Rumors , Injuries , Bradley Beal , Phoenix Suns
Uncategorized
Anthony Edwards , Devin Booker , Kevin Durant , LeBron James , Luka Doncic , Shai Gilgeous-Alexander , Stephen Curry , Tyrese Haliburton , Tyrese Maxey , Dallas Mavericks , Golden State Warriors , Indiana Pacers , Los Angeles Lakers , Minnesota Timberwolves , Oklahoma City Thunder , Philadelphia 76ers , Phoenix Suns
Paolo Banchero , Victor Wembanyama , Orlando Magic , San Antonio Spurs
Celtics legend Larry Bird greets Jayson Tatum before the All-Star Game 🤝 (via @NBA ) pic.twitter.com/94HqF6YmZq — ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 19, 2024
Larry Bird , Uncategorized
Larry Bird , Jayson Tatum , Boston Celtics
LeBron James is celebrating his “Prime Year” with a LeBron 21 for the All-Star Game that pays tribute to Deion Sanders’ DT Max signature shoe. @KingJames 🤝 @DeionSanders pic.twitter.com/JXSgACaNH1 — Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) February 19, 2024
Sneakers , Uncategorized
Sneakers , LeBron James , Los Angeles Lakers
February 18, 2024 | 7:06 pm EST Update
Heat officially announce signing of delon wright.
Free Agency , Top Rumors
Top Rumors , Free Agency , Delon Wright , Miami Heat
- Follow us…
- Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Dallas Mavericks
- Denver Nuggets
- Detroit Pistons
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets
- Indiana Pacers
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans
- New York Knicks
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Orlando Magic
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Phoenix Suns
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs
- Toronto Raptors
- Washington Wizards
- Global Rating
- By Position
- By draft class
- All-NBA Teams
- All-Star Teams
- Free Agents
- Greatest 77
- International 77
- European 40
- Greatest by country
- All-time MVP vote
- Highest-paid ever
- Trade Value
- All-time stats
- Birthplaces
- Depth Charts
- Draft workouts
- FA Rankings
- Injury Report
- Main Rumors
- NBA 2K Ratings
- Player Follows
- Player Movement
- Power Rating
- Scouting Reports
- Summer Rosters
- Transactions
- Terms of Service
- Privacy Policy
- Your Privacy Choices
- Manage Push Notifications
- Powered by WordPress VIP
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Dru Smith - NBA Scouting Live Dru Smith Updated on 7/31/21. Written by Alan Lu. 2021 rankings were finalized on 7/29/21. Height: 6-3 Weight: 203 College: Missouri Classification: Senior Birthdate: 12/30/1997 Projected Draft Range: 2 nd Round to Undrafted Pros: Decent shooter Adequate scorer off the dribble Adequate playmaker
NBA Dru Smith SG #9 Current Team: Miami Heat Born: Dec 30, 1997 (26 years old) Birthplace/Hometown: Evansville, Indiana Nationality: United States Height: 6-2 (188cm) Weight: 203 (92kg) Current NBA Status: Under Contract (Miami Heat) Free Agent: RFA-2025 Agent: Aaron Reilly Draft Entry: 2021 NBA Draft Early Entry Info: 2021 Early Entrant
Stats Videos Roster heat.com Store Tickets Latest Videos 00:01:09 Smith on his mindset and contributions to the team as point guard 00:01:14 Smith speaks about playing point guard and getting...
Dru Smith DraftExpress Profile: scouting reports, videos, stats and logs. Menu. D raft E xpress. Homepage Mock Drafts. Mock Archives ... Dru Smith Heat Profile Awards. Height: 6'3" (191 cm) Weight: 203 lbs (92 kg) Position: PG High School: Reitz ...
Miami Heat #9 Guard HT/WT 6' 2", 203 lbs Birthdate 12/30/1997 (26) College Missouri Status OFS Experience 1st Season 2023-24 season stats PTS 4.3 REB 1.6 AST 1.6 FG% 45.5 View the profile of Miami...
Missouri After his sophomore season, Smith transferred to Missouri over offers from Xavier and Virginia Tech. [9] He sat out the following season due to National Collegiate Athletic Association transfer rules. [1] On November 12, 2019, he posted his first career double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds in a 63-58 overtime loss to Xavier. [10]
Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, shoots, school and more on Basketball-Reference.com. ... Dru Smith is listed as Out For Season (Knee) - Dru Smith has been diagnosed with a 3rd degree right knee sprain. He will be out for the remainder of the season.
Specializing in drafts with top players on the NBA horizon, player profiles, scouting reports, rankings and prospective international recruits. Skip to content. NBA Draft 2024. NBADraft.net. Home; Draft. Instant Analysis; Mock Drafts. 2024 Mock Draft; ... Former Evansville guard Dru Smith transfers to Missouri - NBC Sports/Raphielle Johnson ...
The Heat signed Smith to a multi-year standard NBA contract Saturday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports. After making 15 NBA appearances in 2022-23 between the Heat and Nets and averaging 2.9 ...
He sparked the Tigers to a berth in the NCAA tournament and a 16-10 record. Smith, who earned his bachelor's degree in finance, joked that he used his basketball IQ to compensate for lesser ...
To see a snippet of why Missouri coveted Dru Smith, cue up a clip from an otherwise innocuous win in January 2018. Late in the second half, the point guard hunches over at the top of the key,...
He has averaged 7.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, three assists and two steals per game while shooting just 5 of 16 (31.3 percent) from the field and 0 of 3 on threes in the Heat's first two preseason...
Sun, Nov 26, 2023 · 4 min read. MIAMI - Dru Smith isn't going to say he saw it coming, as if there was some sort of premonition. But hours before suffering a devastating season-ending knee ...
Michael Scotto: The Miami Heat agreed to a two-year deal with guard Dru Smith, which includes a partial guarantee for this season and includes a July trigger date for next season, league...
Draft; Draft workouts; FA Rankings; Injury Report; ... Dru Smith's entire full-season salary of $1.8 million will now count against Heat luxury tax, salary cap, instead of partial guarantee of ...
List of players declaring for 2021 NBA Draft. Chance Linton. 7/9/2021. Sooners close out Tigers late, advance to second round with 72-68 victory. Joey Helmer. 3/20/2021. Arkansas pulls away to ...
Rumors Atlanta Hawks Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets Charlotte Hornets Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers Dallas Mavericks Denver Nuggets Detroit Pistons Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets Indiana...
Dariq Whitehead's Draft Scouting Report: Pro Comparison, Updated Nets Roster | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report BR Sports on Max Today 4:00 PM DAL (24-20) ATL...
Scouting Report: Age, inconsistency and limited off-the-dribble skill suggest Clowney is a few years away, but the combination of 6'10" size, shooting range, ... Dru Smith, SG: RFA.
Shams Charania: The Miami Heat are signing guard Dru Smith to a multiyear standard NBA contract and converting wing shooter Cole Swider on a two-way deal, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium ....
The Miami Heat were dealt with another injury blow when it was announced Friday guard Dru Smith will miss the remainder of the season. Smith sustained a third degree knee sprain in Wednesday's ...
Shams Charania: The Miami Heat are signing guard Dru Smith to a two-way NBA contract, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Smith, in his second season in the Heat system, had a 15-point preseason pe…
Dru Smith and RJ Hampton also remain out for the Heat. Caleb Martin (right quadriceps contusion) is probable. Rest of Heat roster expected to be available tonight vs. Spurs on second night of back ...