Although the Dallas Mavericks’ summer league was cut short by the Lonzo Ball-led Los Angeles Lakers, Dennis Smith Jr., the former Wolfpack point guard, showed flashes of excellence that set the internet ablaze. In six games in Las Vegas, Smith made his presence known, averaging 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game.
“I grew a lot,” Smith said to Mavs.com after the loss to the Lakers on Sunday. “I learned a lot about the NBA game.”
The Mavs were trailing by as much as 26 points, and despite a furious comeback to cut it to one, the Lakers beat the Mavs and ultimately won the summer league title Monday night.
Smith recorded 21 points and six assists against the Lakers, a capstone performance to a solid NBA debut. “He might be even better than we thought,” a Mavs front office member said to SB Nation.
One play in particular went viral from Smith’s summer league, which SB Nation said “might have been the best play all Summer League,” showcasing Smith’s 48-inch vertical in a ferocious missed dunk over two Sacramento Kings defenders.
Considering Smith’s elite summer league performance, a lot of basketball fans are scratching their heads and wondering why Smith wasn’t picked earlier in the draft. Originally thought to be the first point guard drafted, Smith slipped all the way to Dallas’ pick at nine, the fifth point guard taken. Perhaps Smith’s play has made the other teams begin to regret their decision.
“Smith goes into the first stages of his development as a pro with the patience of a player well ahead of the curve,” said Rob Mahoney from Sports Illustrated.
Showing off his talent against NBA players for the first time, Smith has garnered the attention of scouts and players everywhere.
“I feel like he’s going to be a heck of a player, to be honest with you,” said Deshawn Stevenson, former member of the 2011 Mavericks championship team, to the Dallas Morning News. “It’s hard to say how people are going to play. Some people play horrible in summer league and become superstars and some people play good in summer league and don’t become superstars.”
Smith had his fair share of struggles during summer league too. He had three points, one of six from the field, in 15 minutes of play against the Celtics; whereas his teammate Yogi Ferrell, who will be competing for minutes at the point guard spot for Dallas, shined with 20 points, shooting four of eight from long range.
“It’s a lot more tiring than college was,” Smith said to ESPN when asked what the hardest adjustment to NBA play is. “You gotta learn how to breathe.”
And for a 19-year-old point guard like Smith, constant learning from coaches and NBA veterans will be the norm this year.
“I want to learn exactly how to play defense,” Smith said to Mavs.com. “That’s not something that really was pressed about last year.”
Smith is joining a Mavericks team that failed to make the playoffs this past year and is seeking to rebuild. 13-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki is nearing the end of his career, entering into his 20th season with the Mavs; Nowitzki has been the cornerstone of the Mavs franchise for years, ultimately leading them to an NBA Championship in 2011. Mavs fans are hoping they have a new franchise player in Smith as they transition away from the Nowitzki era.
“I’ve projected [Smith] as a starter, and so far, I’m not coming off of that,” said head coach Rick Carlisle to SB Nation. “I liked his combination of confidence and humility.”
The Fayetteville, North Carolina, native proved to be better than advertised in the NBA Summer League. The No. 9 overall pick garnered an All-NBA Summer League first team selection, alongside Ball, Phoenix Suns forward Josh Jackson, Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins and Portland Trailblazers forward Caleb Swanigan.
