Jay Bilas details why Auburn forward Jabari Smith will be the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft

The Orlando Magic are unofficially on the clock, with the 2022 NBA Draft just over 24 hours away. Many think there are three options on the table, with Duke‘s Paolo Banchero, Gonzaga‘s Chet Holmgren, and Auburn‘s Jabari Smith being favorites to go No. 1 overall.

Plenty have their opinions on who should go first but if you ask ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas, Smith is the right option for Orlando. He compared the Auburn star to one of the best in the NBA today, thanks to his ability to shoot the ball.

“I think it’s a really hard decision,” Bilas said. “I think it’s actually just Holmgren and Smith for the No. 1 overall selection. With Jabari Smith, you have somebody who compares just a little bit to Kevin Durant with his ability to shoot the ball and he’s a big-time offensive player and he can defend multiple positions. Block shots. He’s not a great offensive rebounder but as a defensive rebounder, he’s productive. I think he’s the No. 1 pick.”

Smith was one of two stars that helped Auburn win the SEC regular-season championship under head coach Bruce Pearl. He averaged 16.9 points per game while shooting 42.9% from the field. The ability to shoot from behind the three-point line was just as impressive, being a smidge over 40%.

As Bilas said, he personally thinks it’s a two-horse race between Smith and Holmgren. While he broke down why NBA teams should be interested in the seven-foot star, he still thinks Smith is the best option come Thursday night.

“Holmgren is kind of a baby Giannis Antetokounmpo with the way he plays and you sort of have to get over his body because you don’t see a lot of his body style in the NBA,” Bilas said. “Or, at least, you haven’t traditionally. But Holmgren is the real deal. So I think it’s a difficult decision. If it were mine, I would take Jabari Smith but only by a little bit. It’s a hard one.”

Even if Smith ends up not being the top overall selection, he is a surefire top-three pick and will hear his name called by commissioner Adam Silver early in the night. Oklahoma City, the franchise where Kevin Durant began his career, sits at No. 2, while Houston has the No. 3 pick. While Smith might be joining rebuilds, he will be stepping into good situations.