Braden Smith’s first run through NBA Summer League in Las Vegas gave Pacers fans plenty to chew on, even if it didn’t deliver a clean verdict. The hometown guard, fresh off Purdue, flashed the passing chops that made him such an intriguing pick, but the shot never really followed.
That tension defined his five-game stretch. Smith’s scoring stayed mostly quiet after one outlier, yet he kept stacking assists and doing the kind of connective work that always shows up on a box score if you know where to look. He averaged seven assists in about 23 minutes a night, which ranked fourth in the league during summer play.
His game-by-game line told the story: 5 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 4 turnovers, 1-for-8; 16 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, 3-for-6; 0 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 0-for-7; 8 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 0 steals, 4 turnovers, 3-for-6; 5 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 2-for-7. Put together, that came out to 6.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.8 turnovers on 26% shooting.
Smith was clear about the job he sees for himself. “I feel like my job is to get everybody the ball in positions to be successful,” Smith said last week.
Pacers GM Chad Buchanan has already pushed back on the idea that Smith is simply a local name on the roster. Buchanan said Smith "impacts winning and the entire team believes in his game."
There were moments that backed that up. Smith looked like the floor general Pacers fans have seen over the last four years, and some of the missed shots around him came after he had already created the right look. Even with the uneven finishing, finishing fourth in assists across the league is no small thing.
Still, the rough edges were there. The shooting numbers were not where anyone would want them, and at times he looked over-matched.
The turnovers piled up too, though a few came in the kind of chaotic summer-league setting that can turn clean possessions messy in a hurry. On Saturday, officials missed a blatant kicked ball violation that led to a turnover for Smith.
Against Minnesota, he was shoved to the floor on one turnover without a whistle.
The comparison to TJ McConnell is likely to come up, and for good reason. McConnell averaged 14.6 points and 7.4 assists in his first summer league action 11 years ago before his rookie season. But every path is different, and plenty of players have gone on to strong NBA careers after ugly summer shooting stretches.
The broader view on Smith hasn’t shifted much after these games. There’s a learning curve here, and that’s part of the package with a second-round pick.
A stint with the Noblesville Boom this season looks likely, with a chance to help the Pacers if injuries open a door. That’s a perfectly workable path.
Smith’s feel for the game, his vision and the way he embraces the underdog role all still stand out. The next step just won’t come under the summer-league spotlight. It’ll come later, with better coaching, better mentors at the point guard spot and better teammates around him.
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