As usual, Josh Smith was thinking in the air. This time, however, the 18-year-old wasn't on a plane.

After he sneaked along the baseline and took flight, he was trying to figure out what to do with an alley-oop pass from an Oak Hill Academy teammate that seemed out of his reach. The ball was sailing high and behind him.

Fully extending his left arm, Smith snatched the ball out of the air, windmilled it with the same hand and slammed it home with authority.

That remarkable play in a February game helps explain what makes this 6-foot-8, 220-pound small forward a high pick in Thursday's NBA draft. While much attention is being paid to another Atlantan --- Dwight Howard --- there are those who think Smith has greater potential.

"I think Josh Smith is the future of the NBA," said Wallace Prather Jr., coach of Smith's former AAU team, the Atlanta Celtics. "I think he has more upside than anybody in the draft."

That's including Howard of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, whom Prather also coached in AAU and is expected to be one of the top two picks.

Before transferring to Oak Hill in Virginia for his senior season, Smith was a nationally ranked player for McEachern High in Powder Springs. At the time, some recruiting analysts touted Smith as the best junior in the country. Yes, better than Howard.

"Ithink he'll be a household name in the NBA one day," said Indiana University coach Mike Davis.

Davis signed Smith to a scholarship in November, but by April Smith had decided to do what he does best: jump, in this case straight to the NBA. He wouldn't mind landing on the Hawks to learn from the man whose game his probably most resembles --- Dominique Wilkins, now the team's vice president. If he doesn't, though, Smith still is expected to be among the top 15 picks.

"I heard that I was going to be a lottery pick, but that is really not what I based my decision on," Smith said. "I felt I was ready and my family felt I was ready to just make that jump."

The Smith family invested $2,400 so he could attend Oak Hill, a private school in rural Virginia renowned for its basketball program. The school, which has produced 14 NBA players, prides itself on its isolated and structured environment. Both help players limit their interests to two primary things --- basketball and books.

"I went to Oak Hill to get more focused and to finish my education," said Smith, who posted an A average his senior year. "I just felt that the talent level wasn't going to be as high [at McEachern]. Almost every game [at Oak Hill] I had to play against someone that was ranked at least in the top 60 in the country.

"[And] being away from my family made me grow as a man. That's when you grow up, when you are away from your family and you realize that you are on your own."

Smith averaged 25.8 points and eight rebounds per game for a team that went 38-0.

Steve Smith (no relation) has been Oak Hill's coach for 19 years. Yet none of his players has amassed a better plus/minus game average --- which subtracts the minuses (missed field goals, turnovers, etc.) from the pluses (points, assists, etc.) --- than Josh Smith. That's an impressive feat, considering Oak Hill alums include such NBA stars as Carmelo Anthony, Jerry Stackhouse and the Hawks' Stephen Jackson.

"He was the most athletic player I've ever coached," Steve Smith said.

Justin Young, a national recruiting analyst at rivals.com, saw his fair share of powerful dunks in Smith's senior season.

"There are some times that I thought he was going to break his wrist because he was dunking so hard and from so far out," Young said.

Smith has been dunking since the sixth grade, and dribbling a ball since he was 2. His father not only taught him the game's fundamentals, but how to deal with the off-court aspects as well.

"Hopefully he can become the man that I know is on the inside of him," said Pete Smith, who will live with his son for at least two years to help with the adjustment of fame and fortune.

"I'm trying to show him that it's a business. And you have to understand the business side as well as the basketball side."

The father's instruction already has been put to use. Adidas signed the young Smith to a six-year endorsement deal for a reported $12 million guaranteed, plus incentives. The company no doubt hopes Smith will be the NBA's next "Human Highlight Film," the moniker given to Wilkins two decades ago.

"It is probably a fair comparison," Hawks general manager Billy Knight said. Wilkins isn't ready to make that reach, though.

"It is kind of unfair to put a kid like that in that category because those are some pretty big shoes to fill," said Wilkins, the Hawks' all-time leading scorer. "But I think if he focuses himself, the sky is the limit for him. He can do whatever he wants in this league."

The first thing Smith wouldn't mind doing in this league is putting on a Hawks jersey.

"It would be nice, figuring that this is my hometown," Smith said. "For me to give something back to the fans and the people where I live, that would be great."