Thursday, February 27, 2014

CBB to NBA Player Comparisons: Russ Smith

There are a couple pro players who remind me of Russ Smith, including Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings.  However, the comparison that I think is most accurate is Nuggets guard Nate Robinson. Both Smith and Robinson are very small, at 6'0'' and 5'9'' respectively, but make up for it with their incredible acceleration, quickness, and jumping ability.  Also, they have a unique talent in creating shots for themselves (and knocking these shots down) as well as making creative plays around rim amongst players that often have a full foot on them.  Additionally, despite their poor size, Smith and Robinson both manage to chip in on the boards, and they are also fairly good passers and dribblers at the point guard position.  Perhaps what is most similar between these two players is their knack for converting in clutch situations and their undeniable swagger.  People will say that because of his short frame, Russ Smith does not have a whole lot of potential as a NBA player, but players of this mold have actually been fairly successful in the NBA, with the pinnacle of short-player success in the NBA having been reached by Allen Iverson in the early 2000's.  It will certainly enthuse Russ Smith that scouts have recently been pointing out this interesting similarity that Smith shares with Iverson, but I'm going to stick with the Nate Robinson comparison until I see a little bit more.




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