New York Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr. is currently having the worst season of his young career, but head coach David Fizdale still believes that he'll be able to turn things around.
“I see him playing with a much more clear head, and just with more purpose. And his conditioning is starting to really get there. He’s pushing the pace, he’s starting to pick up the ball again, where he’s defending three-quarter court,” Fizdale said, per Steve Popper of NewsDay.com.
“He’s just getting his confidence back and that’s the biggest part of it to get him to be who he can be.”
In his first two seasons in the league, DSJ averaged 14.4 points on 45 percent shooting and close to 29 minutes per game. However, he's down to 5.3 points on 33 percent shooting and 15.6 minutes this 2019-20. The former ninth overall pick is still mourning the sudden death of his stepmother.
Fizdale knows that Smith is going through a tough time, so he isn't rushing things with him. However, the veteran coach says he's always there to support the young guard.
“I’m not getting that deep into it, I’m just continuing to push him to be confident and to continue to get himself into the best shape possible. I think once that happens, that will tell us when the next step is,” Fiz continued. “But other than that, he’s been a fantastic teammate and I just felt like he’s come back after his tragedy and he’s come back with so much more perspective. He’s been leading, he's been much more vocal and I just want him to keep rolling like that.”
Once Smith becomes more productive, the Knicks might be able to win more games. But until then, they will just have to rely on everybody on the roster.
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