2014 NBA Mock Draft: An in-depth look at both rounds
By Joe Nardone
5. Utah Jazz- Marcus Smart, PG, Oklahoma State
H: 6′ 3″ W: 227 lbs DOB: 03/06/1994
2013-14 NCAA (31 GP) 18.0 PPG 5.9 RPG 4.8 APG 27.3 PER
Yes Utah selected Trey Burke with their lottery selection last season to be the point guard of the future, and yes he had a pretty decent rookie year, but Marcus Smart makes more sense to me at this pick than any of the bigs on the board, and that’s saying a lot. In his two years in Stillwater, Smart displayed a well-rounded game, high basketball IQ, and a grown man’s body while running the point for the Cowboys. I’m not sure if he’d be most effective playing off the ball in a two point guard offense, but he has the toughness and attitude that the Jazz are seemingly in desperate need of, and considering there are multiple big man projects on the roster all-ready, why not add a player who can help a team that scored the second least points in the league last season, and also be a hell of a perimeter defender? — Jared