Dennis Smith Jr. is a name that most NBA fans are becoming increasingly familiar with — for good reason. The Dallas Mavericks point guard has a wide variety of tricks in his proverbial bag, crossovers, step-back jumpers, crafty layups, and extraordinary hops.

Smith's leaping ability was on full display at a practice run earlier this week. For some point guards, dunking can be a struggle. Not so for this former NC State standout.

Take note of how high Smith's head goes in the following clip. Just keep in mind that he's 6-3.

Even when he misses on a dunk attempt, Smith's head soars above the rim.

Needless to say, the Mavs are excited about Smith's potential. In 69 appearances with Dallas in his rookie season, the 20-year-old racked up averages of 15.2 points on 39.5 percent shooting from the field (31.3 percent from beyond the arc), 5.2 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and one steal in 29.7 minutes per outing. As a result of his solid rookie season, the NBA recognized Smith with All-Rookie second-team honors.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
NBA Playoffs Primer with Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tyrese Maxey and Luka Doncic

Brett Siegel ·

Chris Paul in normal clothes on left. Mavericks' Luka Doncic shooting a basketball on right.

Joey Mistretta ·

Mavericks' Luka Doncic, Mavericks' Kyrie Irving both in front. Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, and Brian Windhorst in background with eyes popping out looking at Luka and Kyrie.

Joey Mistretta ·

Coming out of Trinity Christian School in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Smith was widely viewed as one of the top high school recruits of his class. After his tenure at TCS, he then went on to NC State, where he earned ACC All-Freshman honors.

The Mavs selected Smith with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. It didn't take long for the crafty guard to adjust. On Dec. 29, 2017, he recorded his first career triple-double, notching 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 128–120 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. In doing so, he became the third-youngest player in NBA history to notch a triple-double (Lonzo Ball and LeBron James).

Exactly what the future holds for Smith Jr. remains to be seen, but he seems to be poised for a breakout season.