That is subjective. The 3 point shooting numbers are too close to say one is better than the other I'd say they are about even in that department even after Jabari was touted as the premier shooter in the draft and some said Paolo would not be a good 3pt shooter. Same could be said for defense there really isnt much separation from the two. What is making you think otherwise?
3pt% Jabari 33% at 5.8 attempts Paolo 31% at 4.0 attempts 33% is considered below average. 31% is considered bad. How can you say 33% and 31% are "about even"? I admit there is no single objective metric that measure individual defense. From what little I watch Paolo and from a lot I watch Jabari, I'd feel confident to say that Jabari is quite clear a better defensive player both in terms of effort and in terms of skill.
For a guy who was known to be iffy as a shooter to be in the same ballpark as the premier shooter in the draft should raise some eyebrows. I'll post a few links that you can gloss over and come up with your own conclusions. DEF RAPTOR does not agree with your eye test. It shows that Paolo is a better defender than Jabari at the present moment albeit pretty close, but again Jabari was touted as a day 1 defensive stopper and Paolo was "aloof" on defense. https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/nba-player-ratings/ Im not out on Jabari yet, but everyone needs to be honest with the discussion. Jabari should be a way better shooter than what he's shown and there is nobody that you can point the finger at - he's getting his looks. Thats if we are only going to compare that singulare aspect without even mentioning all the other responsibilities Paolo has on the court. All Jabari has to do is hit his shots and defend - thats it! https://stathead.com/basketball/pcm...m=0&player_id1=banchpa01&player_id2=smithja05
Jabari is only shooting 2% better than Banchero and Banchero shot better in December and is currently shooting over 10% better this month. So him being a better 3pt shooter for this year is not guaranteed, and him being that close overall really ups his relative value.
It is about even, it's making about 1 more shot a game, and Banchero is not getting the wide open looks that Smith is. How is not about even both are considered below average in today's NBA, especially for a guy whose main claim to fame is his 3pt shooting ability.
He is looking a lot like middle stage Lebron offensively but not that impressed, this was in a blowout. Lebron 1.5?
I remember this place losing its damn mind when you said that lol. Welp looks to be the case. That kid is the truth. Makes me wonder if Stone would have tried to finagle the #1 from ORL what would it have taken? All of the picks from BKN in the Harden deal plus all the first rounders last year PLUS a player or two? Would that have been enough? I would have done it.
I don't want to argue about defense because it is quite subjective. On shooting, let me just say that it is still early. To me, even though Smith is shooting like crap, he still has a notably higher percentage with a much higher volume. I think you are looking at it backward. Banchero is shooting just as iffy as he was advertised. It kind of confirms his weakness. Smith on the other hand is surprisingly bad. That could mean that factors other than his shooting ability might contribute to his present struggle.
He is currently (and really, was at the draft) that much better. Should we give Jabari free rein (to brick or to put it on the floor)? Not a Silas fan and would’ve fired him yesterday but people blaming Silas for Jabari’s poor shooting. Silas’ fault (if I’m reading this correctly) he’s shooting 37%(FG)/35%(3pt) when considered wide open(closest defender 6+feet)? “Run some stuff for him! Get him going!”
Jabari Smith is shooting 39% from the field and 33% from 3 this season. The fg% is improving as the season goes on, as he has shot 42% the last 18 games or so. I am not shocked he is struggling shooting the ball because of his age, and because he is inconsistent at this point. His 3 point shot has vanished, but he is now strong on 2 point shots. Silas didn't use Smith properly the first month of the season, and still doesn't really utilize him that well and the style the Rockets play doesn't suit him well. Still, Silas isn't the one taking the shots, Smith is and he is missing too many from the outside. That will improve, but for now he is a mediocre three point shooter. Banchero is the better player now, and likely will be going forward but it isn't as open and shut at people think. Smith is a better defender and as good a rebounder. If Smith learns to shoot consistently, then he can do a lot of damage. Smith is someone that won't be able to score like a star if he doesn't learn to put the ball on the floor. I was not a big Smith fan coming into this season, but overall I am more confident about him than before the draft. Smith has already improved shooting inside, and looks like he will continue to. Also his defense and rebounding is more advanced than I had expected. I am pretty confident he will eventually shoot 37-40% from 3 in time, and even if he never puts the ball on the floor; he can probably push 20 points a game with positive rebounding and strong defense.
What Banchero is doing at his height is significantly more impressive than what Jabari is doing at nearly the same height, especially in today’s offense-centric NBA. Anyone who doesn’t think so is straight up lying to themselves. Paolo’s skillset on offense is borderline elite right now and is in a realm Jabari will never sniff because Paolo’s handles are just something you can’t teach. The dude is out there doing fadeaway J’s effortlessly. This discussion is similar to the early years of when Doncic was drafted and fans of other teams tried to say their guy would be just as good with a little more time. Banchero, like Doncic, is simply on another level and that’s okay as a Rockets fan. No need to feel insecure and boast about a 2% difference in 3 pt shooting or claim Jabari’s defense is so much better when he barely anchors the defense and improves the team as a whole. If Jabari was a difference maker on defense, the Rockets wouldn’t be one of the worst defensive teams in the league.
Jabari is a better playoff prospect and Paolo is a better regular season prospect. Jabari also projects as a better leader. Scoot Henderson with Jabari Smith? Good lord. Basically Paolo level distribution, Jabari Smith demeanor and defense with Russ level speed.
You can watch them for 5 minutes and answer that question. Yeah, he is that much better, because he has a multi faceted game.
