It is always hard to predict what will happen in the NBA Draft, but the most recent class was particularly surprising for even the top prospects.
Jabari Smith Jr., who was long considered the favorite to hear his name at No. 1 overall, didn’t have the night he anticipated. We shouldn’t have been so surprised that the Magic selected Paolo Banchero and not Smith or Chet Holmgren, it seemed to be a shock to everyone — including the oddsmakers.
Many — including league insider Chris Haynes — assumed Smith go next.
Holmgren, instead, was then selected at No. 2 overall and Smith ended up falling to the Houston Rockets at No. 3 overall. Here is what veteran reporter Marc Spears had to say about the evening (via Andscape):
Jabari Smith Sr. noticed that his son was crumbling emotionally. Smith Jr.’s legs shook so hard it made the table jump in the NBA draft’s green room at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The elder Smith grabbed his son’s leg and said some words of wisdom to calm him and put it all quickly in perspective.
“So, they called Chet Holmgren’s name, and he lost it,” Smith Sr. told Andscape. “Leg went to shaking. I looked at him. He is almost in tears. And I forgot that he told me that OKC [promised to draft him], so I got to keep my mouth closed about that.”
It is impossible to know exactly what was said between the involved parties. But most other reporting suggests that Oklahoma City was always targeting Holmgren, not Smith.
Jabari Smith Jr. reacting after Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren went No. 1 and 2 in the #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/HpkZJHEwRd
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 24, 2022
Still, however, these comments from Smith Sr. (who also played in the NBA) are indeed notable.
Holmgren has missed the entirety of his rookie season due to a foot injury.
Smith has struggled to find his rhythm on the offensive side of the floor, but some of his defensive highlights have been particularly exciting for Houston.
The Thunder have played particularly well of late and look ahead of schedule in their rebuild. The Rockets, meanwhile, are now in a prime position to win the lottery and potentially draft prized prospect Victor Wembanyama.
