Since the 2017 NBA Draft back in late June, Dallas Mavericks rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. has garnered much attention around the league.
Much of this was centered around his promising play in the Las Vegas Summer League where he averaged 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game while helping lead the Mavericks to a 5-1 record.
In light of that, Smith recently spoke to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News about his strong play in the summer league that was highlighted by the explosive nature of his game.
“I just say this as humbly as possible, it didn’t surprise me,” Smith Jr. said of his Summer League explosion. “I’ve been playing against these guys since high school. I played them in college. They knew what I was capable of and I knew what I was capable of as well. So I just went out there and was playing my game.”
The 19-year-old was widely regarded as the most athletically gifted player in this year's draft class. He has shown to be an effective two-way player at the next level with his capabilities on the defensive end of the court as an individual defender while he has the ability to create his own shot off the dribble.
Smith Jr. will have an opportunity to showcase that in his first year with the Maverick as likely the starting point guard from the get-go. He could quickly assume a prominent role in the offensive game plan that could lift him into serious contention for the Rookie of the Year award.
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