Phoenix Suns' Jalen Smith Primed For More Minutes After Stellar Summer League Play

The Phoenix Suns’ Jalen Smith may have just made his case for more minutes in a stacked team rife with talent.

Smith was drafted by the Suns at 10th overall in the 2020 NBA draft, and many lamented the pick as Tyrese Haliburton was still on the board then.

The Maryland product only appeared in 27 games for the Suns as he dealt with an ankle injury and a bout with COVID-19 as the team was suddenly placed in prime contention for an NBA title.

Many NBA fans were calling for the Suns to trade Smith since he was not able to make an instant impact on the team, but general manager James Jones had other plans in mind for the youngster.

This year’s edition of the NBA Summer League saw Smith become one of the top players in the mini-tournament, with per-game averages of 16.2 points and 12.5 rebounds but with no blocks recorded.

The lack of blocks was disappointing to see, but he was out there contesting shots at the rim and played defense that would make head coach Monty Williams proud of his progress.

Smith is also now coming in at a weight of 228 pounds, and he mentioned that he doesn’t know why the league listed him as 215 pounds--his weight in college.

He still lacks the skill to perform screening handoffs on the same level that Deandre Ayton does, but having guards like Devin Booker and Chris Paul on the roster, he has the best mentors available to him.

The Suns’ gameplan is heavily reliant on the three-point shot, and while Smith can occasionally hit those shots, he works better as a player who clogs the paint and grabs offensive rebounds for an easy two points.

Ayton has been the team’s best rebounder since they drafted him, and it now boils down to whether Smith can be as effective as the former is on the glass when he sits.

For context, the Suns ranked 28th in offensive rebounding last season with 8.8 a game.

That number has to be better as they make a more dominant run to the top of the league this season after having locked up their key free agents this offseason.

Suns assistant coach Brian Randle praised Smith for his showing in Summer League despite finishing with a 2-3 record.

“I thought he [Smith] showed that he’s got what it takes to be an NBA player," he said. "He’s got a lot of skill and a lot of ability and I hope he gained confidence too in his game, and even be able to expand it.”

Suns fans shouldn’t be surprised if Smith gets more burn this year with Dario Saric out due to an ACL injury.

If all goes well, he will be a nice rotation player that fits extremely well with their second unit.