<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Trae-Young-Hawks-Dennis-Smith-Jr.-Pistons.jpg"></figure><h1>Trae Young, Dennis Smith Jr. go back and forth in insane duel in pickup game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-22T20:50:11-07:00">August 22nd, 8:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-22T20:50:11-07:00">August 22nd, 8:50pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo is a freelance writer, TV producer, and news editor based in Manila, Philippines.  He will debate anyone to death that Penny Hardaway is the real GOAT, and he will work for pizza.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Trae Young proved a lot of doubters wrong last season as he led the unheralded Atlanta Hawks to a deep run in the NBA Playoffs.</p><p>It has been quite evident that Young is a man on a mission, and with the new season still a few weeks away, the fiery playmaker is already grinding it out.</p><p>He recently joined a pickup game, featuring NBA free agent Dennis Smith Jr. The two explosive guards were on opposite teams and they quickly made it a gung-ho affair, exchanging baskets, highlight plays, and of course, swaggy staredowns (via <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1429548923220369412">Ball Is Life</a>).</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>It was entertaining, to say the least. At one point, Young even chased down Smith and gave a hard foul to stop him from throwing down a vicious slam. The competitiveness surely wasn’t lacking.</p><p>The offseason, however, has been contrasting for the two studs. Young recently <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-trae-youngs-3-word-reaction-after-207-million-extension-with-atlanta/">secured the bag</a> with a $207 million extension with the Hawks for five years. Smith, on the other hand, is still searching for a new squad after he was let go by the Detroit Pistons.</p><p>Smith was highly touted as an athletic guard out of North Carolina State and was drafted ninth overall by the Dallas Mavericks in 2017. Incidentally, the following year, the Mavericks selected Young as the fifth overall pick. He was immediately traded to the Hawks for Luka Doncic, who took over the playmaking duties from Smith. Since then, Smith has struggled to find his niche in the NBA.</p><p>Maybe Trae Young can convince the Hawks to take a crack at Dennis Smith Jr.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Trae Young, Dennis Smith Jr. go back and forth in insane duel in pickup game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DeAaron-Fox-Kings-Dennis-Smith-Jr.-Knicks.jpg"></figure><h1>VIDEO: De’Aaron Fox drops Dennis Smith Jr. on sick hesitation move</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-08T21:00:41-07:00">April 8th, 9:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-08T21:00:41-07:00">April 8th, 9:00pm</time><address><a>Will Wyman</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Sacramento Kings star De’Aaron Fox is one of the shiftiest guards in the entire NBA. Detroit Pistons playmaker Dennis Smith Jr. learned that the hard way on Thursday, as Fox sat him down with a burst of speed to the rim.</p><p>Smith didn’t know what hit him (via <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1380354105558720512%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1079556action%3Dedit">Hoop Central</a>).</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="nl">DE’AARON FOX. 🦊</p><p> <a href="https://t.co/tytIeBbhUz" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/tytIeBbhUz</a></p><p>— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1380354105558720512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 9, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Fox has been one of the few bright spots for the Kings this season, putting up big numbers and carrying his often stagnant team through difficult games. The fourth-year guard is having his most productive season yet, averaging career-highs of 24.6 points and 7.1 assists per game.</p><p>The former Kentucky standout has been especially good since the All-Star break. Fox is fifth in the NBA in points per game after the midseason break, dropping 28.3 markers per night. His impressive output has only been eclipsed by Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, Kyrie Irving, and Stephen Curry.</p><p>Despite Fox’s ascension, the Kings <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/records">have been very inconsistent</a>. They are in the 12th spot in the Western Conference with a 22-29 record. The Kings sit in the caverns of defensive statistics, most notably in 30th place for defensive rating.</p><p>Kings coach Luke Walton will have many questions to answer if their defensive struggles continue, but Fox’s strong offensive plays often make their lack of D easier to forget. De’Aaron Fox will have to continue his stellar play if the Kings have any chance of sneaking into the NBA Playoffs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

VIDEO: De’Aaron Fox drops Dennis Smith Jr. on sick hesitation move

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/image_2021-02-22_014621.png"></figure><h1>Dennis Smith Jr. an intriguing fantasy basketball target with Delon Wright, Killian Hayes hurt</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-21T09:52:18-08:00">February 21st, 9:52am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-21T09:52:18-08:00">February 21st, 9:52am</time><address><a>Immanuel Canicosa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Detroit Pistons are not only coming off a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, 109-95, in their most recent game on Friday, but they also lost lost starting guard Delon Wright to injury for at least a couple of weeks. Wright reportedly suffered a Grade 2 groin strain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Detroit Pistons point guard Delon Wright suffered a Grade 2 right groin strain and will be reevaluated in two weeks.</p><p>— James Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLEdwardsIII/status/1363532459674136584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 21, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>With rookie Killian Hayes still <a href="https://www.nba.com/pistons/features/pistons-try-turn-tables-cant-overcome-early-21-point-deficit-loss-memphis">recovering from the hip injury</a> he suffered earlier in January, recent addition Dennis Smith Jr. could receive more playing time in the Pistons’ upcoming games. Smith was acquired in the trade that sent guard Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks, and has played five games for the Pistons so far.</p><p>But with Wright and Hayes still sidelined by injuries, Smith could receive more action on the court in head coach Dwane Casey’s rotation and could be an interesting pickup for fantasy owners looking for players to add to their teams. The 23-year-old has averaged 4.6 points, two rebounds, and 2.6 assists on 30% shooting from the field so far in his short stint in Detroit.</p><p>While those numbers aren’t great, Smith has also played an average of just 16 minutes per contest, which doesn’t give him much of a chance to showcase his talents. But with their guard rotation thinning due to injuries, the ninth overall pick of the 2017 Draft could see his production increase. While Smith hasn’t shown yet that he can score as he did during his time with the Dallas Mavericks, he can fill up the box score and contribute in other departments, something that fantasy owners might find intriguing.</p><p>Against Memphis, Dennis Smith Jr. didn’t score and missed all seven of his shots, but pulled down four rebounds, dished out five assists, and had three steals and three blocks in 23 minutes. With his playing time likely to increase, fantasy owners may look to add a potential <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/dennis-smith-jr-and-the-2-best-reclamation-projects-in-the-nba/">reclamation project like Smith</a> to their lineups that can give their teams an unexpected boost.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dennis Smith Jr. an intriguing fantasy basketball target with Delon Wright, Killian Hayes hurt

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/dsj-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Dennis Smith Jr. and the 2 best reclamation projects in the NBA</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-18T21:26:48-08:00">February 18th, 9:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-18T21:29:18-08:00">February 18th, 9:29pm</time><address><a>David Bernal</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Pistons and Knicks fans might know that following the 2017 NBA Draft, many observers <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2721143-nba-scouts-break-down-summer-league-standout-dennis-smith-jr">argued</a> that the Dallas Mavericks had obtained the steal <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/detroit-pistons/news">of the night</a> with their selection of Dennis Smith Jr. with the ninth overall pick.</p><p>A freshman guard out of North Carolina State University, Dennis Smith was a highly regarded prospect owing to his prodigious athletic ability and willingness to attack off the dribble. While there remained concerns over his defensive prowess and lackadaisical effort, the point guard possessed the type of high-risk, high-reward talent that teams should reach for at the back of the lottery, where sure things rarely exist.</p><p>Combined with standout summer league performance by Dennis Smith, the Mavs entered the 2017-2018 season being sure they possessed at least one building block as they embarked on a rebuilding effort.</p><p>Three years later, not only has Dallas moved <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/mavericks/2019/02/01/mavs-agree-to-7-player-trade-with-knicks-to-acquire-kristaps-porzingis-send-dennis-smith-jr-and-deandre-jordan-to-ny/">on</a> from the Dennis Smith experiment, but the point guard finds himself on the precipice of falling out of the league entirely.</p><p>Traded from the New York Knicks to the Detroit Pistons, Dennis Smith will once again find himself in new surroundings attempting to make good on the talent that has tantalized front offices across the league.</p><p>While the guard has shored up his effort on the defensive end–grading out as an above-average defender against ball-handlers in which he is the primary defender, according to tracking-data from Synergy Sports–leaks have sprung elsewhere in his game that have combined to nearly sink his career.</p><p>Sporting a three-point field goal percentage <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithde03.html">below</a> 30%, Dennis Smith has seen defenses aggressively drop below picks when guarding him, closing off driving lanes, and suffocating his attacks before he can gain a full head of steam.</p><p>Even when the guard has attempted to pivot and instead utilize the space in front of him to gain a clear view of the court and set up cutting teammates, Dennis Smith has seen his passes intercepted and turnover ratio skyrocket to nearly 15%.</p><p>With significant concerns over his court awareness and few viable ways to get him into the lane with efficient regularity, it’s no surprise that the Knicks chose to bail on the Dennis Smith experiment in the same way the Mavericks once did.</p><p>Yet, that isn’t to say there is no hope for Dennis Smith Jr in the NBA as we advance. While he is almost certainly not the lead guard many envisioned him becoming when he entered the league, Smith could still carve out a rotation role for himself if he is willing to move without the ball and increase his shooting by even a few percentage points.</p><p>As long as his progress on the defensive side of the court remains, it’s not difficult to imagine Dennis Smith serving in an off-guard position for years to come, harnessing the raw athleticism that remains under the grime of failed expectations.</p><p>It may not be what Dennis Smith imagined when he first became a pro,  but succeeding in the NBA often requires adaptability for all but the most talented few.</p><p>This got us thinking about the other players that are currently languishing on benches around the association despite prodigious talent. To help break it all down, here are three other reclamation projects waiting to be resurrected.</p><h2><b>Frank Ntilikina</b></h2><p>From the moment Frankie Smokes was drafted by the New York Knicks one spot ahead of Dennis Smith Jr in the 2017 NBA Draft, the point guard has oscillated between <a href="https://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/knicks/frank-ntilikina-knicks-1.37956135">fan favorite</a> and <a href="https://empiresportsmedia.com/new-york-knicks/new-york-knicks-frank-ntilikina-could-be-left-behind-with-tom-thibodeaus-strategy/">team pariah</a>. While draft experts viewed Ntilikina as a prospect that would require an ample amount of time to mature, the past four years have done little to assuage the fears that existed around his underdeveloped offensive game.</p><p>Though he exhibited an inability to hit outside shots during his tenure in the European league, Ntilikina did possess outstanding court-vision and a willingness to pass the ball that gave multiple teams hope he could become a key cog in a starting lineup when combined with his otherworldly defensive ability.</p><p>Four years later, however — as Dennis Smith knows — not only have his shooting woes failed to <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/n/ntilila01.html">improve</a>, but Ntilikina’s hesitancy behind the arc has infected the rest of his offensive game. While he can still get into the heart of the lane thanks to his quickness of the dribble, the guard has a maddening tendency to immediately dish the ball back out to the perimeter rather than using his positioning to get to the rim or draw a foul. Not only has this resulted in Ntilikina failing to average even a single free-throw per game, but it has also meant that his career-high in field-goals per game has topped out at under 2.5–a lack of production that won’t do for any player that hopes to have a meaningful rotation role.</p><p>If a team can find a way to round out his offensive limitations, there’s no denying that the guard has the means to be an impact player. With a 7’1 wingspan and a solid frame, Ntilikina has the means to guard four positions on the court, providing his squad a dose of versatility on the defensive end that can be crucial to success.</p><p>Even when opposing teams run his man through picks, Ntilikina not only possesses the lateral quickness to duck under but the length to still affect a shot when closing out. Dennis Smith saw how Ntilikina operated on the Knicks. Combined with his superb positioning–consistently maintaining a low-stance with his arms stretched out wide that seems to swallow a whole portion of the floor–it’s no surprise that the guard has been a net-positive on the defensive end according to his on/off numbers, per Cleaning the Glass.</p><p>While he seems unlikely to remain in New York (which is where Dennis Smith just left), Ntilikina shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a home. Though it may not turn into a bidding war, there will likely be multiple teams convinced that they could develop the guard far better than the Knicks were able to.</p><h2><b>Thon Maker</b></h2><p>Another international player widely regarded as a “<a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/2016-nba-draft-scouting-report-thon-maker-mystery-man">project</a>” with tremendous upside, the Milwaukee Bucks drafted Maker in the 2016 draft, hoping to duplicate the magic they found with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Like the Greek Freak, Maker sported a rail-thin 7-foot frame, boosted by tremendous athleticism and a silky smooth outside shot. While the Canadian national had less experience than even Giannis did when entering the league (and also less than Dennis Smith), it’s easy to understand why the raw talent in front of him seduced Bucks’ GM Mike Hammond.</p><p>That Milwaukee could not find playing time for a player that seemed perpetually two years away from being two years away was not too concerning given that the Bucks were in contention. His performance, or lack thereof in Detroit, however, has worried multiple observers around the league.</p><p>Displaying a surprising amount of reluctance to shoot the ball despite a respectable 34% mark from behind the line, Maker instead tried to contribute on the offensive side of the ball by becoming an off-ball player. Compare that to Dennis Smith. Increasing the percentage of his possessions in which he served as an off-ball cutter to over 20%, Maker displayed a complete lack of feel and anticipation, routinely cutting right into rotations and turning the ball over 13% on flash cuts, according to Synergy Sports.</p><p>One wonders what Dennis Smith might think: While his lack of progress on the offensive end has relegated him to the bench in a crowded frontcourt with the Cavaliers, Maker still provides enough value on defense to make him a player worth investing in. Sporting a <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/makerth01.html">respectable</a> 1.2 defensive plus/minus, Maker still possesses the frame and quickness to grade out as a rotation player if a team can improve his decision-making. While providing him playing time may be difficult in the short-term given his current limitations, there’s still potential waiting to be found in Thon Maker.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dennis Smith Jr. and the 2 best reclamation projects in the NBA

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/dsj.jpg"></figure><h1>Pistons’ Isiah Thomas reacts to Dennis Smith Jr. watching Bad Boys documentary after trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-11T20:25:05-08:00">February 11th, 8:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-11T20:28:07-08:00">February 11th, 8:28pm</time><address><a>Nick Andre</a>Basketball Enthusiast</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Monday, the New York Knicks sent point guard Dennis Smith Jr. to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for veteran guard Derrick Rose. The move gives Smith a new change in scenery and an opportunity to grow. In his first night in Detroit, Smith took the time to watch the Bad Boys documentary series, which delighted Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas.</p><p>Smith has only been a member of the Pistons for four days now, but it <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/detroit-pistons/news">looks as if</a> he is ready to continue to build on winning traditions.</p><p>In his first night in Detroit, Smith explained that he took the opportunity to watch the Bad Boy Pistons documentary to learn <a href="https://twitter.com/IsiahThomas/status/1359925551255928842">about the history.</a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Let it be known <a href="https://twitter.com/Dennis1SmithJr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@Dennis1SmithJr</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BadBoys?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#BadBoys</a> <a href="https://t.co/GSFpJQW8U5" target="_blank">https://t.co/GSFpJQW8U5</a></p><p>— Isiah Thomas (@IsiahThomas) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsiahThomas/status/1359925551255928842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 11, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The Documentary is based around the Isiah Thomas-led Pistons, who were championship contenders throughout the 1980s. Thomas reacted to Smith discussing the documentary via Twitter, to show his appreciation. Smith explained his reasoning for watching the documentary for the 10th time was to better understand the culture of Detroit.</p><p>Smith has had his ups and downs throughout his NBA journey, preceding his arrival in Detroit as a new member of the Pistons. In 2019, he was traded to the Knicks from the Dallas Mavericks, as he was excited for his opportunity in the big apple. Unfortunately, due to injuries and not playing well, Smith’s time in New York became a nightmare. Up until the trade, he was preparing for the 2021 G League season with the Westchester Knicks.</p><p>Smith now has an opportunity to contribute to making Detroit a winning franchise again. He will pair alongside Jerami Grant and Blake Griffin to lead the way for the Pistons. With a fresh, new start that’s in front of him, Smith will approach his new tenure in Detroit with a different mentality.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2021-22 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
5.7	2.1	3.2	0.3	1.4

2021-22 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
5.7	2.1	3.2	0.3	1.4

Dennis Smith

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Dennis Smith Jr. and the 2 best reclamation projects in the NBA

Pistons’ Isiah Thomas reacts to Dennis Smith Jr. watching Bad Boys documentary after trade

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