There has been no shortage of hype building around Dallas Mavericks rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. since he was selected with the ninth overall pick in this year's draft.
This increased attention and scrutiny around Smith Jr. has pushed him to want to strive to prove his supporter right rather than his critics wrong, according to Eric K. Sneed of Mavs.com.
“You know, I was extremely motivated by my family,” Smith explained. “They all believed in me, and they knew that I could come back (from the injury) and be an even better player. And I came out and showed that. I’m just motivated to prove the people that believe in me right. There’s no chip (on my shoulders).
“Everybody is not able to make it to this point, especially where I’m from. So, me being able to come out and just play basketball at the highest level is a blessing. I’m thankful for that. Fayetteville, my family, I’m a product of my environment. You know, I chose the right path, and everybody wants to choose the right path. A lot of people that end up in the wrong things played basketball or football, and they’ve got the same aspirations as I have. And being able to come out and do it whenever they can’t, whether it’s by death or by prison, I think that’s a blessing. I feel a ton of pride representing where I’m from, everybody that can’t do it and my whole family. I take a lot of pride with that. … I think it’s more than just basketball with that. That’s the way I was raised to be as a man. And that’s a credit to my whole family, especially my father. And it just translates from being a man to basketball.”
The 19-year-old is clear on what he aims to accomplish in his rookie campaign. The excitement around him has only grown as the season draws closer, especially following his standout performance 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.
Smith Jr. will have a chance to build upon that as one of the centerpieces for the Mavericks this upcoming season as likely one of their top scoring options and primary ball handlers. This could quickly lead to him become one of the favorites to win the Rookie of the Year award.
Ultimately, Smith Jr. is more than motivated to perform at a high level in his first campaign with the Mavericks.
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