When the New York Knicks acquired point guard Dennis Smith Jr. in the deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks, the second-year point guard wasn't brought aboard for his dunking prowess specifically.
You wouldn't know that with the way he has mercilessly attacked rims when given the opportunity, with Friday serving as the latest example on this wild sequence that gives new meaning to snagging a steal and getting a bucket.
This dunk alone might put Smith Jr. atop the early 2019 Slam Dunk Contest favorites. Thankfully, fans won't have to wait long to see the newest Knick show the world what he has come up with since last year's performance.
After what could respectfully be judged as a rocky departure from the Mavericks, Smith Jr. has wasted little time acclimating himself with his new surroundings. In just his second game with New York on Tuesday, he fired up a career-high 25 shot attempts versus Detroit en route to 25 points.
With New York entering the night 10-43 on the year, they're likely to allow Smith Jr. to develop through the means of trial by fire. It was as recently as June 2017 that the franchise passed on selecting Smith Jr. out of North Carolina State, instead opting for Frank Ntilikina, who has had his own rough start to his NBA odyssey and might be looking up the depth chart at his newest teammate. At 21 years old, Smith Jr. is just getting started, and with hops like those in transition, it's easy to see why the Knicks have embraced their newest wunderkind.
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