The highlight of the Philadelphia 76ers‘ 2018 NBA Draft was Zhaire Smith — swinging a high-upside trade in hopes of landing an elite defender to complement the burgeoning young roster. Now 41 games into the season, Landry Shamet is stealing the spotlight.
Smith will eventually return, but for the time being, Shamet alone looks like a massive victory for Brett Brown and the Sixers. The Wichita State product is producing efficiently in heavy minutes, at times looking like the most competent reserve on the roster.
While the latter sentence isn’t necessarily ideal, it’s clear Shamet will provide value for the foreseeable future.