Scouting Report: Jaleen Smith
Jaleen Smith played in second German league just two years ago but now he is making his name hard to miss. Versatile player that can fill up all the stat columns. In German BBL, which is one of the best leagues in Europe, he is (at the moment of writting) averaging 17.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.7 steals and is ranked among top10 players in the league in all those categories. His team Ludwigsburg is first on the standings with 17 wins and just one lose so it’s no surprise that he is the frontrunner in the MVP battle so far.
BACKGROUND INFO
Position: G/F
Height: 193 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Date of Birth: 24/11/1994
Nationality: American
Previous clubs:
2017–19 —MLP Academics Heidelberg
Jaleen played all four of his college years for New Hampshire Wildcats. In all years combined he averaged 11.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 31 minutes per game and was the first Wildcat with 1000+ points, 600+ rebounds and 260+ assists in the school history. Started his pro career in Germany in second division and now playing the second year in Ludwigsburg. Had a good season last year but this season brought his game and stats to even higher level.
VIDEO REPORT:
OFFENSE
Slashing: Even though he is not the most athletic and explosive player, he can get by defenders and to the rim. Good slasher overall and can attack in both directions. Has good size and strong upper body and can absorb contact around the rim. Ambidextrous finisher around the rim. Good pick & roll player, knows how to use the screen to get some separation.
Shooting: Good shooter, especially in spot up situations. Reliable free throw shooter but not the most consistent shooter from distance. His release is pretty low and slow but can create some separation with his step back threes. Has some decent range. High shot arc and can make some hard contested shots, especially off the dribble.
Playmaking: Knows how to find open teammates anywhere on the court. Good in creation from pick & rolls where he can find a pass to open shooters or the roller man. Also very good as a drive & dish or a drive & kick player. His court vision is good, not really on elite level but could play as a secondary playmaker on most levels. His passes are pretty sharp and accurate and rarely bad or soft.
Post ups: All around game in offense and can do everything, even attack from low post. Can post up smaller and weaker players and can move their bodies but rarely attacking any bigger players from post ups. Has some decent touch on post up moves but definitely an area of his game that should be used more often in the future since he has the strength to move bodies and should attack from low post more often.
Transition: He is not the quickest players but still score some easy points in transition. Because of his great anticipation for steals, feel for rebounds and pesky defense in general, he gets opportunities for a fast break play and likes to go all the way to the rim. Likes to run with or without the ball.
DEFENSE
Steals: One of the best ball thiefs out there. Especially good at reading the offense and making interceptions. Always a hand in the passing lane and waiting for an opportunity to go for a steal. His court awareness is on a really high level, makes good rotations and with his great anticipation steals a lot of balls. Also a pesky defender on perimeter and can make some steals when guarding the ball handler.
Perimeter defense: Rated as one of the best defenders in the league. Lacks the explosiveness in his reactions but tough and a grinder that can make life hard for the offensive player. Slides his feet well and moves good laterally. Showing some high defensive IQ when defending on perimeter too.
Post up defense: Due to his strong body he can hold the position and not moved easily. Can defend even bigger players on low post but lacks sufficient length to contest the shots better. Has the versatility in defense to defend multiple positions and plays in Ludwigsburg some minutes as a forward too.
Pick & roll defense: Very good pick & roll defender too. Per Synergy data he is allowing just 0.577 points per possesion in pick & rolls when he is defending the ball handler. Usually allowing shots from mid range but not letting the operator get to the rim.
Rebounding: Another important part of his game. Has great anticipation where the ball is going and is at the right place at the right time. Grabs a lot rebounds for his size and position, especially because he is not a really vertically explosive player. Likes to push in transition after he grabs the defensive rebound.
SUMMARY
His game and stats in this season can’t be overlooked anymore. Playing hard all game long, has good motor and work ethic which is always needed on any level.
Versatile on both sides of the floor and can be used in many ways but probably the best described as a secondary ball handler. I would compare his game and role to Daniel Hackett from CSKA.
Maybe is Jaleen Smith the next player after Thomas Walkup and Nick Weiler Babb that will go from MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg to Euroleague but definitely should be on the radar of most teams that play in international competitions.
