NBA Rookie Ladder: Ben Simmons and an unlikely Laker steal the headlines
By Erez Maman
10. Dennis Smith Jr., Dallas Mavericks
Stats: 12.8 points, 5.0 assists, 2.9rebounds
Dennis Smith Jr. has had an inconsistent start to his NBA career, but he’s been solid overall. He has all the tools to succeed: Elite athleticism, a good shot, unselfishness, decent passing, and defensive potential.
Smith’s biggest weakness has been settling for 3-pointers far too often. Smith needs to find a way to add a mid-range game to his repertoire and get to the charity stripe more often.
He’s averaging 12.8 points, 5.0 assists, and 3 boards. These numbers may be viewed as unimpressive, but the argument could be made that he was somewhat overhyped because of his impressive summer league performance. Nevertheless, he should develop into a really good NBA player.