Rival NBA teams believe the Orlando Magic will select Auburn Basketball star Jabari Smith first overall
The NBA draft is officially less than a month away, and Auburn fans are anxiously waiting to find out where Jabari Smith will be drafted.
For months now, the vibe around the draft is that the first overall pick would be either Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, or Smith.
The NBA Combine took place recently and it seems like the two winners were Smith and Holmgren.
Here is a video of Smith preparing for the NBA Combine from a few weeks ago.
Mike Schmitz, an NBA Draft analyst, recently had this to say about the number one pick.
Tuesday’s lottery removed one of the big questions from the 2022 NBA draft, who is picking first, and cleared a path for Smith to make a short trip from Atlanta to join what’s becoming one of the most interesting young rosters in the NBA in the Orlando Magic. While Magic executives have made it clear they will conduct a thorough process — even extending beyond the widely believed top three prospects in Smith, Holmgren and Paolo Banchero most NBA teams firmly believe that’s a formality and that Smith is all but assured to become the top pick. Smith, for his part, appears thrilled with that development.
This would be huge if true because Auburn has never had a basketball player selected first overall. Smtih is a testament to Coach Bruce Pearl and how he can develop young talent. Obviously, Smith was a top ten player in his high school class, but Coach Pearl and his staff took him from a great high school player to a great college player and the potential first overall pick. This is a great look for top recruits considering coming to Auburn. Coach Pearl can tell the story of Smith going forward, making these top recruits want to head down to the Plains.
The NBA Draft will take place on June 23. This will be a big night for Smith and the Auburn community as they wait to see if their beloved basketball star will be selected first overall.
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