Jordan Smith Jr. Q&A: 'I may not be as tall as Kawhi Leonard, but I feel like our games are kind of similar'

A five-star recruit, Jordan Smith Jr. is currently ranked No. 2 on 247 Sports, which likely means he will be a lottery pick, potentially the top pick, whenever he decides to enter the NBA draft. The Virginia native is known for his on-ball defense and innate ability to generate a high number of deflections. Smith is only 6-foot-2, but his 6-foot-9 wingspan puts him on the radar among NBA and college evaluators as he prepares to play for John Calipari at Arkansas next season.

Smith Jr. spoke with HoopsHype after a practice at this year's Nike Hoop Summit, discussing his excitement about playing for Calipari at Arkansas, following in the footsteps of 2026 lottery pick Darius Acuff, comparisons to Kawhi Leonard and Donovan Mitchell, the parts of his game he wants to improve, advice from Jrue Holiday and more.

How has your experience been at the Nike Hoop Summit?

Jordan Smith Jr: Overall, my experience has been really fun. It's an experience that's really unimaginable. Really just a dream come true overall because I've seen NBA guys, Hall of Famers play in this game. So I'm honestly just blessed and I'm just really happy to be here.

You've had a lot of experience playing with the other guys on this team. What does it mean to see you all still together, growing, and now getting ready for college?

JS: It just really means a lot, especially with some of the guys that I play with from the U17 to the U19 team. Just to see that our bond is still tight together. I know we still have a group chat to this day. We're still talking sometimes. So our bond is never going to end. And we're just adding more people because of this team. And I'm honestly just happy to be here again. And I'm just happy to be with my guys all the time.

Abdou Toure. He’s on the other side representing the World Team against you. You’re playing with him at Arkansas. What are your thoughts on his game?

JS: Abdou is one of a kind, honestly. Athletic. Everything he has is just really good. So he's a really good player. I'm really excited to play against him. I think it's my first time ever playing against him. But from the Arkansas standpoint, I'm really excited. They started with him at Arkansas. I feel like we're going to really make an impact, especially with JJ (Andrews). All three of us are going to make an impact right away. I'm just really happy that I'm joining them too. He was the second person I told when I committed. I told JJ first. So I feel like our bond is going to get really tight, especially that we're coming in the next freshman. I'm just ready to get started.

You mentioned Darius Acuff was a big reason why you chose Arkansas. You played against him and saw his success this past season. Do you feel like you can have the same type of success as he did?

JS: I feel like me and Darius Acuff are two different people, but I feel like we're on the same path. Of course, we play different, but we also have some things that we play alike with. So I feel like it's two different stories, so I can't really compare myself to him. But I hope that I do have the same success that he's had, just because he's about to be a lottery pick in the NBA. And I'm really just happy to see his growth, because I played him three times in high school. I played with him at a camp. So just to see his growth as a human being, to see his growth as a basketball player, I really look up to it.

Coach Calpari, his resume speaks for itself. When you found out he was recruiting you, what went through your mind?

JS: It was kind of crazy, kind of just a dream come true. Because Coach Cal, I mean, it's Coach Cal, like, you can't get better than that, really. The first thing he said to me when he first came to recruit me was, if you're good enough, you're big enough. And, you know, I'm not the biggest guy on the court. I'm 6-2, 6-3, and, you know, this guy is 6-5, 6-6, out there, and even 7-foot. So, just hearing that, as a 6-3 guy, instilled a lot of confidence in me and just showed that he had a lot of confidence and trust in me.

De’Aaron Fox, John Wall... You go down the list of point guards with the success they had after playing for him at Kentucky. What did you see from his work with past guards that made you trust his ability to help you next season and help you get ready for the NBA?

JS: I mean, you basically said it: John Wall, De’Aaron Fox. I play like some of those guys in some aspects. So he's dealt with every guard possible. I just feel like if he can help them, he can help me. But I also want to help him the best I can. I want to impact winning as much as I can. I want to leave Arkansas better than I found it. So his impact on me, I can have the same impact on him. And I'm just happy that he's coaching me because he's a legend.

You have been tabbed as the best defender in your class. Most players in your position are focused more on scoring. You seem fine defending first. Where does that come from?

JS: It comes from my dad. He gave me the mentality that defense wins championships, and I've stuck with that since then. And he just told me to take pride in it. And he just found it easier for me to stay on the court that way. And ever since that, I've really just played defense with my heart. I love it so much. I have fun playing defense, locking down the best player on another team. And my offense feeds off my defense. So if I'm getting stops on defense, everything's going to become easier for me on offense.

You’re 6-2” with a 6-9 wingspan. When did you initially understand that your wingspan was a weapon others didn’t have, and how did you intentionally use that advantage to build your game around that?

JS: My first time playing EYBL, I was in the eighth grade. I played up my 15th year. First time, I subbed into the game. I got my shot blocked. And he was like your arms are long, your hands are big, so just go up there and try to dunk everything because you have the advantage. And, ever since then, I've seen it as an advantage to just go use my arms and my hands It's about playing hard, arms out wide, getting steals.

Did you always love playing basketball, or was it more like, as you got better, you got more into it?

JS: No, I always loved playing basketball, especially from a young age. Everybody wasn't always good at it. I wasn't the most skilled at it, but I just always found the joy in it. Like, if you're not having fun playing basketball or anything that you love, then there's really no point of playing because it's really just becoming a chore at the end of the day. So I try not to make it a chore. I try to have as much fun as possible because if I make it to the NBA, it becomes a business at the end of the day. So some of the fun might get taken out of it. But at the end of the day, you just gotta find the joy in everything that you do because if you don't find joy, then it's not what you love at this point.

You have similar measurements to Donovan Mitchell. Has anyone told you about comps to him, and do you feel like your game and his overlap in any way?

JS: Yeah, yeah. Sometimes.

I feel like some of it, but I feel like my player comparison, people have told me... it's Kawhi, just because of how we attack the best player offensively. And, we keep it as simple as possible.

Any other players?

JS: Jrue Holiday. I got that a couple times, and that’s really it.

Have you talked to these guys, or any other NBA players? What sorts of advice have they given you?

JS: So I've talked to Collin Sexton a little bit. He just told me to use what you have on your hands. Like, do what you're good at, but be great at it. Don't worry about the things that you're not good at, because over time, the things will come just because of the confidence and the reps. So he just told me to be great at what you're good at, and just dominate.

I remember talking to Ed Davis once, and he told me Collin Sexton was a maniac in terms of his work ethic. Did you get that feeling from talking to Collin?

JS: For sure. I watched him work out at the Clippers [old practice facility] - with Klutch - and man, his work ethic's next level. He missed two shots in a row. He got on himself, but he like, it was the kind of next play mentality. And, I kind of took courage from that because sometimes when I'm not making shots in my workout, I do get in my head a little bit, but you just gotta leave it away because it can affect your next shot.

What parts of your game do you feel like you still need to work on?

JS: Obviously, I'm still developing my three-point shot. It's gotten better over the last four years in high school, but it's probably not there yet or what NBA scouts want to see, But I just got to keep working on it. Probably that, probably my decision-making. And honestly, I just want to keep working on everything. But if I had to choose things, probably my three-point shot, my decision-making, and just the confidence in my three-point shot.

What’s the name that comes to mind that you feel like your game could be modeled the best if you get to that level?

JS: Kawhi Leonard. I may not be as tall as him, but I feel like our game is kind of similar.

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Jordan Smith Jr. Q&A: 'I may not be as tall as Kawhi Leonard, but I feel like our games are kind of similar'