Israeli freshman Omer Mayer searched for a player who matched his style for two years. Finally, he found his answer sitting right next to him in the Purdue locker room: Braden Smith. Coach Matt Painter sees exactly what his freshman guard is talking about, and the comparison has deeper implications for Purdue’s championship aspirations this season.
Does Matt Painter Think Omer Mayer Plays Like Braden Smith?
In an interview with “Field of 68,” Painter agreed that his freshman point guard got it right.
“Well, he can pass the basketball, Omer can pass. You know, Omer’s obviously got some really good physical gifts. He’s got good size. He’s got a burst,” Painter said when asked about the comparison.
However, the coach believes fans haven’t seen Mayer’s full potential yet. When Mayer played for Israel’s youth teams, he showed more of his skills than he could at Purdue’s practice because he’s still learning the system.
“You haven’t seen everything. Like, when you watch him in the U-19s and the U-20s, like, you see more, because he’s learning here,” Painter explained. “Until guys really get to understand what’s going on, you don’t see them at 100%. So I think you’ll start to see some improvements from him as he gets more comfortable in our system.”
Painter confirmed the core similarity but was upfront about the current reality. “He’s a true point, and that was what we talked about. You know, in the recruiting, you’re not going to come here and be a ball-dominant guard right away,” the coach said.
The coach was direct about Mayer’s current role while Smith remains the primary option. Mayer can contribute, but won’t handle the same workload as his All-American teammate.
“It doesn’t mean that you can’t play alongside him and do some of the same things. But the volume’s not going to be high. But then after he leaves, now you have more of a runway to do those things.”
What Did Omer Mayer Say About Comparing Himself to Braden Smith?
In another interview from the same channel, the 6’4″ freshman opened up about his long search for a style match. Mayer spent two years looking for a player who played like him before finding his answer in his own teammate.
“That’s actually that’s a funny one cuz I’ve been thinking about it for like two years and couldn’t find anyone that I would say yeah I kind of I kind of play like him,” Mayer said. “And to be honest, the first player that I saw that I actually felt like, yeah, I kind of play like him. It’s Braden Smith.”
Mayer searched the NBA and European players but couldn’t find anyone similar. The Israeli guard also looked across professional leagues without success.
MORE: Purdue’s Omer Mayer Compares Himself to Braden Smith While Owning Up to Weaknesses
“I’ve been looking for Euro League, NBA, and I couldn’t find someone whom I look at and I say, ‘Oh yeah, I play like him. I actually play like him,'” Mayer explained.
Now with Painter backing the comparison, the numbers support it too. Both players bring proven court vision to West Lafayette.
Smith holds Purdue and Big Ten single-season assist records, while Mayer led Israel’s youth teams in scoring across multiple international tournaments. The coach’s assessment hints at what Purdue fans can expect once Smith leaves for the NBA after the 2024-25 season.
