http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1088150282158130.xml High-schooler Smith fits bill -- for now Friday, June 25, 2004 John DeShazier The Hornets wanted to get younger and more athletic. J.R. Smith won't be 19 until Nov. 9, and has a 44-inch vertical leap. That qualifies. Sure, the Hornets could have gone in another direction with the 18th pick in Thursday's NBA draft. Maybe years from now, the lament will be that they didn't select St. Joseph's point guard Jameer Nelson, a four-year college player, consensus All-American and National Player of the Year, who was on the board. Or the wonder will be what might have happened if they'd taken 21-year-old Sergey Monya, a 6-foot-8 forward from Russia who is considered by many NBA-ready. But for what the Hornets wanted, 6-6 Smith is a pick that fits. A pick that's a little scary, sure, because you worry how long it will take a high school player to make the adjustment to NBA life off the court. After that, how long it will take for him to be ready to actually make a consistent contribution on the court? "We were surrounded by high school players with our pick," General Manager Allan Bristow said. "You just have to do what is right. And what's right was to draft J.R. Smith." It is difficult for four-year college players to make a splash and have staying power in the league. Increase that degree of difficulty by five or 10 for a high-schooler who hasn't faced the pressure of playing in the NCAA Tournament, and won't find at a summer camp or all-star game a similar crop of players as big, quick and strong as the ones he'll see in NBA arenas. But, that said, there's a lot to like about Smith if his scouting report -- great athlete, outstanding shooter, improving ballhandler -- is true, and he's a quick study. The Hornets need his type of skills, and they need him to be effective now, not later. "How fast he learns the game -- six months, one year, two years -- I can't say," Bristow said. "I don't know that. The maturing process is something you have no control over." If the Hornets end up with an 18-year-old who's wise beyond his years, it would be fair compensation in exchange for the agony of watching coveted Kirk Snyder drift tantalizingly down the draft board, until Utah snapped him up at No. 16, two selections before the Hornets would've welcomed him into the fold. "We were a little surprised that Snyder went that far," Bristow said. "It was right there." And then it wasn't, but Smith was. The kind of player whose skills fit the need the Hornets have. "I can shoot the ball well and use my athletic ability," Smith said. "Plus, I'm very coachable. I feel comfortable in what I can do. I can definitely contribute to the team right away. I think I can definitely prove it on the court." Nothing at all wrong with confidence, especially if it lessens the growing pains. "I think you certainly can't get everything in one selection or one player," Bristow said. "(But) he's just been impressive every time he has been on the floor. We think he's going to be a tremendous asset to our current team, as well as our future. He's going to be one of the outstanding off guards in this league for a long, long time." That remains to be seen. All we know for now is that the Hornets got the kind of player they wanted, hoping he can provide the team what it needs. . . . . . . . John DeShazier can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3410. --

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