Shawn Farmer, longtime trainer of New York Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr., says playing alongside Kevin Durant would take Smith's game “to another level.”
Durant becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer and has been heavily linked with the Knicks.
Farmer believes Durant would mentor Smith and help him become one of the best young point guards in the NBA, something the Knicks would love to see happen.
“I think that could take Dennis' game to another level,” Farmer told Ian Begley of SNY. “He has a lot of respect for the superstars in the league. Dennis would welcome any advice, especially from someone from Kevin Durant's caliber.
“Junior will listen to anybody; he has a filter where he can decipher what's good for him and what's not. So I'm sure with all the experience that KD has in the league, and the success that he's had, Junior will probably be sitting at his locker every day. Or asking to go out to dinner. Because Junior wants to be great. I don't understand why people think he just plays the game to play the game.
“Even though he's not having the (kind of production in previous) years that he's wanted, he still thinks that he's one of the best players out there.”
The Knicks acquired Smith from the Dallas Mavericks in the Kristaps Porzingis trade. The high-flyer averaged 14.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 21 games with New York while shooting 41.3 percent from the field.
As of now, Smith's biggest weakness is his perimeter shooting. The 21-year-old, though, can get to the rim at will and finish in heavy traffic.
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