Injuries have unfortunately plagued Dennis Smith Jr.'s career so far. The third-year pro has played in just 143 of a possible 246 career games and with the New York Knicks being just 11-29 on the season, the franchise is probably pretty happy to hear that the 6-foot-2 point guard is recovering from an oblique injury faster than expected.

The injury has kept Dennis Smith Jr. out of commission for the last nine games. Now, the former NC State star is listed as day-to-day.

“It’s actually faster (than I expected),” Smith said regarding his timetable. “I heard with oblique strains, it can be two months. I’m actually coming along fast. I’m going through the process. I’m feeling better. The good thing about it is I’m making progress.” per Marc Berman of the New York Times .

Smith was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Knicks in the middle of last season and found success as the Knicks' starting point guard. This season, however, Smith has found his role within the team severely diminished.

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In the 21 games he has appeared in, the former top 10 pick has made just one start and is playing only 16.1 minutes per game. In reduced minutes, Smith has put up per-game averages of 5.2 points on 32.5 percent shooting clip. Smith has also added 2.7 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game.

At one time, Smith was seen as a potential future star in the league. Things have quickly turned south for the guard and injuries certainly don't help. When he does return, Smith will have to battle with fellow point guards Frank Ntilikina and Elfrid Payton for playtime.