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 scouting report

Dru Smith  SG    #9

dru smith scouting report

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]

dru smith scouting report

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1 Years Of Service

Dru Smith 2023-2024 Game Log

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College: Missouri (2021)

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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.

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Dru Smith Headshot

Miami Heat | #9 | Guard

6'2" (1.88m)

203lb (92kg)

LAST ATTENDED

December 30, 1997

6'2" | 203lb | 26 years

Latest Videos

dru smith scouting report

Smith on his mindset and contributions to the team as point guard

dru smith scouting report

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.

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  • HT/WT 6' 2", 203 lbs
  • Birthdate 12/30/1997 (26)
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Photo of Dru Smith

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

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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

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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)

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  • Play-by-play data available for the 1996-97 through 2023-24 seasons.
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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.

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dru smith scouting report

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

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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.

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Reitz, Missouri standout Dru Smith works out for Kings, Celtics leading into NBA Draft

dru smith scouting report

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

dru smith scouting report

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. 

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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.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: MAR 03 MVC Championship - Illinois St v Evansville

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.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: DEC 05 Evansville at Bowling Green

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2019 mizzou basketball preseason.

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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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.”

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Noah Clowney's Draft Scouting Report: Pro Comparison, Updated Nets Roster

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - MARCH 16: Noah Clowney #15 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts after his made basket against the Texas A&M-CC Islanders during the first half in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on March 16, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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)

Noah Clowney's Draft Scouting Report: Pro Comparison, Updated Nets Roster

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.

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dru smith scouting report

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Celtics legend Larry Bird greets Jayson Tatum before the All-Star Game 🤝 (via @NBA ) pic.twitter.com/94HqF6YmZq — ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 19, 2024

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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

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February 18, 2024 | 7:06 pm EST Update

Heat officially announce signing of delon wright.

dru smith scouting report

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dru smith scouting report

IMAGES

  1. Nets Sign Dru Smith to Two-Way Contract: Report

    dru smith scouting report

  2. Dru Smith scores 16 points in Missouri's win over Alabama

    dru smith scouting report

  3. Commentary: How Dru Smith emerged as Missouri's most trusted player at most crucial time

    dru smith scouting report

  4. No. 7 Tennessee routs No. 12 Missouri 73-53 in SEC opener

    dru smith scouting report

  5. Dru Smith leaving post as Serra football coach for opportunity in Las Vegas

    dru smith scouting report

  6. Dru Smith wins SEC Player of Week honor for unbeaten Mizzou

    dru smith scouting report

VIDEO

  1. Russian knights Su-27 Flanker solo

COMMENTS

  1. Dru Smith

    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

  2. Dru Smith Player Profile, Miami Heat

    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

  3. Dru Smith

    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...

  4. DraftExpress

    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 ...

  5. Dru Smith

    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...

  6. Dru Smith

    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]

  7. Dru Smith Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more

    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.

  8. Dru Smith

    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 ...

  9. 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 ...

  10. All-SEC guard Dru Smith looks for professional options

    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 ...

  11. Mizzou Basketball: 5 things to love about Dru Smith

    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,...

  12. Dru Smith, competing for roster spot, explains why he keeps ...

    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...

  13. Heat's Dru Smith reflects on going from 'this court's kind of weird' to

    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 ...

  14. Dru Smith's contract with Miami includes partial guarantee

    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...

  15. Dru Smith out for the season

    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 ...

  16. Dru Smith, Francis Joseph Reitz Sch, Point Guard

    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 ...

  17. Dru Smith Rumors

    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...

  18. Dariq Whitehead's Draft Scouting Report: Pro ...

    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...

  19. Noah Clowney's Draft Scouting Report: Pro Comparison, Updated Nets

    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.

  20. Heat sign Dru Smith to a multiyear contract

    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 ....

  21. Miami Heat's Dru Smith Out For Season Due To Knee Injury

    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 ...

  22. Heat signing Dru Smith to a two-way contract

    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…

  23. Dru Smith out for the season

    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 ...