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“Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the guys I like to watch and steal stuff from”: Jabari Smith sets the bar high for himself by naming his player comparisons

Advait Jajodia
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“Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the guys I like to watch and steal stuff from”: Jabari Smith sets the bar high for himself by naming his player comparisons

Jabari Smith, a top prospect of the 2022 NBA Draft Class, revealed the players he watches in the league and tries stealing their moves.

Much like every year, this year too, the Draft Class is filled with numerous talented youngsters, who wish to build a legacy. This class features top prospects like Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith, and even some son of NBA legends – Shareef O’Neal and Scotty Pippen Jr.

Auburn Tigers’ Jabari Smith is one of the players who is expected to be a top 3 pick on Thursday night. The 6-foot-10 lengthy forward has the potential of becoming one of the most elite two-way prodigies in the league, and with his ability of knocking down shots at a high efficiency, Smith Jr. has all the tools to make an immediate positive impact on whatever team he lands with.

Averaging a staggering 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1 block per game, on an incredible 42.9/42/79.9 shooting split in his lone season with the Tigers, Jabari seems to be one of the most NBA-ready athletes of all his other fellow prospects.

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“Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo”: Jabari Smith on his player comparison

During the draft combine, a few prospects were asked to give their own NBA player comparisons. There were a few youngsters who gave pretty modest answers – Jaylin Williams (Al Horford), Jeremy Sochan (Draymond Green), E.J. Liddell (Grant Williams), and Collin Gillespie (Payton Pritchard), among a few others.

Jabari’s answer… well, the players he named were some of the best players in the league. The 19-year-old named All-Stars Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Smith stated:

“I’d like to see my game evolve into like Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis, Giannis. Those are guys I kinda like watch and try to steal stuff from.”

Well, you need to aim big to achieve big!

According to Shams Charania, Jabari is a “top two lock”. Definitely, either of the two – the Orlando Magic or the Oklahoma City Thunder – will hugely benefit having this determined talent on their roster.

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About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia

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Advait Jajodia, an NBA and Tennis journalist for The SportsRush, has had a passion for both sports for over a decade. His admiration for Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Rafael Nadal pushed him to gain a profound understanding of the sports. With a background as a multi-sport athlete, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood and the court to offer insightful analysis. Over three years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 22-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 4,500+ articles.

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