When we unveiled our annual Ranking the Sixers project, Zhaire Smith finished as the eighth-best player on the Philadelphia 76ers‘ roster. Our contributors had high hopes for Smith, who looked the part of a breakout candidate during the Las Vegas Summer League.
To be frank, so far, we look bad. Smith has brought up the rear in Brett Brown’s preseason rotations, receiving no more than 10 minutes in any of the Sixers’ first three preseason contests. He played just eight in Sunday night’s win over Orlando.
As Matisse Thybulle shines, Furkan Korkmaz and Shake Milton get extended opportunities, and James Ennis holds strong, the immediate future looks bleak for Smith.