2025-26 Season
JALEN SMITH
2025-26 Season
JALEN SMITH
Smith produces at an above average rate for a 21-minute workload.
About this model: Net Impact can't measure floor spacing, help defense rotations, or playmaking gravity — so wings and guards are slightly undervalued vs bigs. How Net Impact works
TEAM COMPARISON
of 20 teammates (10+ games, 10+ min)
SKILL DNA
Percentile rank vs 227 Forwards with 10+ games
THE SEASON SO FAR
Jalen Smith’s first 20 games were a wildly volatile experiment in backup big-man minutes, oscillating between dominant paint enforcement and disastrous perimeter chucking. When he embraced his physical tools, he was a massive plus. Look at his flawless performance on 11/08 vs CLE, where he poured in 18 points and 11 rebounds on perfect 6-of-6 shooting to generate a staggering +16.4 impact score through dominant interior positioning. Yet, when he drifted away from his core strengths, his overall value plummeted. During the 11/04 vs PHI matchup, a surprising 14-point scoring outburst masked a complete lack of defensive resistance, dragging his impact down to a -3.9 as opponents easily bypassed him. Conversely, he found ways to contribute positively even when his offensive volume vanished. On 11/19 vs POR, Smith managed just 5 points but still posted a +3.7 impact score by providing a sturdy physical presence and altering crucial shots at the rim. He clearly thrives as an energy big, but his defensive lapses and occasional shot-selection woes keep his nightly reliability firmly capped.
This stretch was defined by a chaotic tug-of-war between Smith's burgeoning role as a starting frontcourt anchor and his maddeningly inconsistent perimeter jumper. When he embraced his interior physicality, he simply bullied opponents. During a start on 12/31 vs NOP, he grabbed 14 rebounds and altered shots in the paint to drive a massive +8.3 impact score. Conversely, poor shot selection frequently sabotaged his own high-energy effort. On 01/13 vs HOU, a disastrous 0-for-5 night from deep completely erased the value of his 14 points and nine boards, dragging him down to a brutal -7.9 impact rating. He finally found the perfect equilibrium on 02/03 vs MIL, stretching the floor by hitting 3-of-5 threes to warp the opposing defense. That lethal combination of frontcourt spacing and aggressive rim protection yielded an elite +8.4 impact score, revealing exactly the type of two-way ceiling he possesses when his perimeter trigger matches his undeniable hustle.
IMPACT TIMELINE
Game-by-game performance vs average. Green = above average, red = below.
Typical consistency. Smith is positive more often than not (72% of games) with scoring varying ~4 points from the average.
Middle-of-the-road efficiency — shoots 45%+ from the field in 62% of games. Not automatic, but not a problem either.
Defensive difference-maker. Smith consistently forces tough shots and protects the rim — opponents shoot worse when he's guarding them.
Tends to go on runs. Longest hot streak: 9 games. Longest cold streak: 3 games.
MATCHUP HISTORY
Based on 56 games with tracking data. Shows who guarded this player on offense and who he guarded on defense, with their shooting stats in those matchups.
ON OFFENSE: WHO GUARDED HIM
His shooting stats against each primary defender this season
ON DEFENSE: WHO HE GUARDED
How opponents shot when he was the primary defender. Lower FG% = better defense.
SEASON STATS
GAME LOG
53 games played