Dennis Smith Jr.'s tenure with the New York Knicks has been, unfortunately, nightmarish.
Since coming over from the Dallas Mavericks last season as the centerpiece of the Knicks' return package for Kristaps Porzingis, Smith Jr. has been horrid in New York.
After averaging 15.2 points per game in his rookie year for the Mavs — who selected him ninth overall in the 2017 NBA Draft out of N.C. State — Smith Jr.'s production and confidence have alarmingly declined. He averaged just 5.5 points per game in 34 contests this season, which featured more DNP-CDs than starts and career-lows across the board for the 21-45 Knicks. He looked completely lost for much of the season and shot just 35.7% from the field — contributing to a -17.1 net rating. An off-court tragedy in October and a training camp back injury only added to his woes.
Smith Jr.'s reputation around the league seems to have taken a major hit by his recent struggles:
“Dennis is gifted but clueless,’’ a Western Conference personnel man told Marc Berman of the New York Post. “He’s supremely athletic and can be a gifted scorer as an attack-style ballhandler. But he’s an average shooter and non-passer. And doesn’t have a clue how to make others better.”
Smith Jr.'s disastrous performance likely contributed to the dismissal of ex-president Steve Mills in February. Now, with Leon Rose running the show, the third-year guard's future in New York looks tenuous at best.
If it's any solace for Smith Jr., he is far from being the first, and won't be the last, player to inexplicably underperform after joining the Knicks. Clearly, his value is lower than ever, but hopefully, he can get his groove back for a more competent franchise if and when the Knicks decide to move on. He has one year left on his deal for about $5.6 million.
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