2025-26 Season
DRU SMITH
2025-26 Season
DRU SMITH
Smith produces at an below average rate for a 16-minute workload.
Smith produces at an below average rate for a 16-minute workload.
PBP Credit: Every play is analyzed from play-by-play data. Scorers get difficulty-adjusted credit, assisters get creation value based on the shot opportunity they created, and turnovers are classified by type. Shot difficulty is derived from 1M+ shots across 4 seasons. Full methodology
TEAM COMPARISON
of 14 teammates (10+ games, 10+ min)
Similar Players
Same position, closest production profile this season.
SKILL DNA
Percentile rank vs 246 Guards with 10+ games
THE SEASON SO FAR
Dru Smith spent the first quarter of the season fighting to keep his head above water as a fringe rotation guard. His offensive limitations frequently dragged down his overall value, bottoming out entirely on 11/25 vs DAL. He missed all six of his field goal attempts and went completely scoreless in that contest, resulting in a brutal -11.5 Impact score because he simply could not punish the defense. He did manage a few rare flashes of efficiency. On 11/09 vs POR, Smith tallied 13 points, five rebounds, and six assists on crisp 4-for-6 shooting, generating a season-high +15.1 Impact score by effectively running the offense without forcing bad looks. He found similar success on 11/22 vs CHI, hitting both of his three-point attempts to post a +10.6 Impact. Unfortunately, those efficient nights were anomalies, and whenever his shot vanished, Smith became an offensive liability who bled points during his brief stints on the floor.
Dru Smith's midseason stretch was defined by brutal offensive inefficiency that frequently turned his bench minutes into a liability. During the 12/19 vs BKN matchup, he handed out six assists but clanked his way to a miserable 1-for-8 shooting night, dragging his overall value down to a -6.0 impact score. Yet, he occasionally salvaged his floor time without scoring, most notably during the 01/25 vs UTA contest. Despite another abysmal 2-for-10 shooting performance in that game, Smith grabbed 10 rebounds and dished five assists to drive a stellar +8.6 impact score through sheer hustle and playmaking. Scoring didn't fix everything. On 01/28 vs ORL, he posted a highly efficient 13 points and seven assists, but a -0.1 impact score revealed that hidden defensive costs and poor rotational positioning quietly erased his offensive production. When his jumper abandons him, the guard has to crash the glass and facilitate flawlessly just to survive on an NBA court.
Dru Smith’s midseason stretch began as a playmaking revelation before completely collapsing into an unplayable slump. He initially thrived as a steadying hand for the second unit, peaking on 02/01 vs CHI with 10 points, four rebounds, and six assists. His +9.2 impact that night stemmed from crisp passing and relentless defensive rotations that kept Chicago entirely off balance. The magic faded fast. Two days later on 02/03 vs ATL, Smith managed just two points on a dismal 1-for-5 shooting night, posting a disastrous -14.6 impact as his erratic shot selection completely stalled the bench offense. By the spring, his brief floor stints were actively hemorrhaging points. He bottomed out on 04/01 vs BOS, logging a staggering -15.8 impact in a mere four minutes of empty cardio. When a rotational guard stops hitting shots and gets hunted defensively the moment he checks in, his minutes simply vanish.
IMPACT TIMELINE
Game-by-game performance vs average. Green = above average, red = below.
Struggling. Smith has posted negative impact in 77% of games this season. The production rarely outweighs the cost.
Middle-of-the-road efficiency — shoots 45%+ from the field in 44% 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.
Small downward trend. First-half impact: -3.2, second-half: -4.9. Not alarming yet, but trending the wrong direction.
In a rough stretch — 8 straight games with negative impact. Longest cold streak this season: 11 games.
MATCHUP HISTORY ⚠ Updated 46 days ago
Based on 76 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
70 games played
