Dennis Smith Jr., Dallas Mavericks
In a guard dominated draft, Smith flew under the radar. But the human highlight reel out of NC State turned plenty of heads at summer league, earning first-team honors.
His dunks littered network top tens, a trend that will likely continue into the season. Smith regularly dribbled passed opponents, showing a nose for the paint. And paired with is competition, Yogi Ferrell, Smith looked like the obvious alpha.
It was a big step for a player who will get plenty of chances in the Dallas system. Mavericks writers are already itching for Smith to be in next year’s dunk competition. Certainly it’s not out of the realm of possibilities, but the young point guard isn’t going to be a one-trick-pony. His play his reminiscent of fellow 6-foot-3 point guard Steve Francis. A career of that caliber would be a solid, reachable goal for Smith.
Smith showed he can lead an offense while being an effective scorer. He can be a go-to player, while getting his teammates involved. He’s also exciting, young and could be a major draw at American Airlines Center. Even though the sample size is small, Smith appears to be an important piece of the Mavericks rebuild.