Nolan Smith: 5 NBA Teams That Could Use the Duke Star's Talents
Nolan Smith enjoyed a successful NCAA Basketball career at Duke.
He guided the team to a championship last year, with help from Kyle Singler, and took over the point guard position for the team this year when Kyrie Irving went down with a toe injury.
Smith was the reason the Blue Devils were considered contenders this year, and he has a complete package of skills that should transition well into the NBA.
Many teams are in desperate need for a floor-general with the skill-set of Smith's, and in this year's draft, one of those teams will finally get what they've been looking for.
He's projected as an early 20s pick, which surprises me as he has the talent of a top 10 pick.
Here are five teams who need Nolan Smith.
Portland Trailblazers
1 of 5
Do not get me wrong, Andre Miller is an amazing player. He is my all-time biggest All-Star snub. I didn't know it was possible to lead the league in assists in a year and not be an All-Star.
Even though he still has the savvy to play in the league, he is getting up there in age. His motor looks like it's not slowing down, but it soon will.
Nolan Smith is almost an identical player to Andre Miller—they like to play below the rim, use size to their advantage, are good defenders, can get their teammates involved and know how to get to the rim.
The big difference between both is that Nolan Smith can shoot the long ball, a skill Miller's been lacking since he entered the league.
Also, Smith already plays like a savvy veteran, having a high basketball IQ.
Smith would start off in a bench role as a rookie, but slowly move himself into the starting lineup, being guided by Andre Miller.
His play style fits Portland's offense perfectly, being able to push the ball up the court when needed, slowing down the offense to get LaMarcus Aldridge easy looks, finding shooters on the perimeter, and playing hard-nosed defense.
New York Knicks
2 of 5
Chauncey Billups is basically Andre Miller with a three-point shot, and less passing.
He is also getting too old to play starter minutes, even though he has enjoyed extreme longevity.
Billups is the ultimate tutor, being known to bring a positive presence to the locker room and helping teammates grow as players.
He would immediately take Smith under his wings, and guide him to becoming a near perfect pure point guard.
In this case, New York is a fast-paced team who rarely slows down the tempo. Smith can thrive in an offense like this, being able to push the tempo and find teammates on fast breaks for easy points.
He also brings a defensive presence to the guard position, something missing in New York, since Billups is getting a tad bit too old to stay in front of his man. In this situation, Nolan Smith might be worked into the starting lineup a bit faster, being able to play the shooting guard position.
Many scouts do not see him being effective at that position due to lack of length to guard two guards, but in New York, where defense means nothing to coach D'Antoni, he should be able to produce and slowly take over the starting point guard position.
Los Angeles Lakers
3 of 5
No matter how clutch Fisher may be, his days as a capable starter are numbered.
This is the most intriguing scenario for Nolan Smith, because he could become a starter here in a couple months.
His high basketball IQ, combined with his skill set, are built perfectly for running the triangle offense.
He has the shooting stroke and the passing, and his defense is years ahead of Fisher's, who struggles to even stay in front of opposing point guards nowadays.
Fisher could be kept healthy and energized come playoff time, where he is needed most, while Smith could play big minutes in the season as a rookie without the Lakers missing a beat.
Miami Heat
4 of 5
Yup, Atlanta fans know that scene too well. It's Mike Bibby messing up on defense. Well, now Miami has to deal with that.
Bibby is a good offensive player, especially as a shooter, but he is just as bad at defense.
Their solution was Chalmers, but Chalmers doesn't give enough on the offensive side, even though he is an average offensive player.
Nolan Smith could be the answer.
Smith provides scoring, passing, and defense, basically combining the talents of Chalmers and Bibby to make the perfect fit for Miami.
Miami doesn't need a superstar point guard, they need someone who can guard superstar point guards and shoot the three, while occasionally taking the ball to the hole.
They also need someone who can run a fast break, so that LeBron and Wade can get easy shots at the rim.
Although a bit of a streaky shooter from deep, Smith provides all those skills.
Nolan Smith would probably come into this situation as a starter after an offseason of getting used to the offense.
Atlanta Hawks
5 of 5
Atlanta does not need an upgrade at point guard.
What they do need is depth at the position. Jeff Teague isn't going to cut it coming off the bench with his extremely streaky play.
Smith would lock down the backup point guard position and almost certainly become their sixth man if Jamal Crawford decides to cut ties with them this offseason.
Smith and Hinrich would give the Hawks the best defensive rotation at the point guard position in the NBA.
Also, like stated in previous slides, Smith's complete package of skills would help the Hawks, and maybe finally make them real contenders.
