David Blatt: Stephen A Smith is ‘clueless’ about basketball

David Blatt thinks Stephen A Smith is “clueless” about basketball.

Blatt spoke at Calcalist’s Forecast 2019 conference in Tel Aviv on Monday. The former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach predicted that Luka Doncic would win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award. He says he knew all along Doncic was the best player in the draft, and he blasted Smith for touting Deandre Ayton, who went No. 1 overall to Phoenix.

“I told everyone he was the best player in the draft,” Blatt said. “Stephen A. Smith is clueless at basketball. (Doncic) is hands down the best player in the draft.”

Ayton is a big man and developing on a different timeline from Doncic, but he’s nonetheless had a successful rookie season thus far. The Arizona product is averaging 17 points and 10.9 rebounds in 31.3 minutes per game. His PER is 22.34, which is higher than Doncic’s 18.03. Still, Doncic is getting all the buzz and likely to win the award, as Blatt says. The 19-year-old Slovenian has come in and impressed immediately. He’s averaging 19.6 points, 5.0 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game. He also has Dallas 18-19, which is a major turnaround from their past two seasons.

It’s too early to say Doncic was a better pick than Ayton — or anyone else in the draft for that matter — but we enjoy hearing Blatt toot his horn and blast Smith, who has beefs with everyone these days.