Freshman guard Dennis Smith Jr. goes up for a reverse slam. The Wolfpack dominated Virginia Tech on all sides of the ball in PNC Arena on Jan. 5, 2016 with a 104-78 win, the first ACC win over 100 points since 1991." />
Nick Faulkner
Freshman guard Dennis Smith Jr. goes up for a reverse slam. The Wolfpack dominated Virginia Tech on all sides of the ball in PNC Arena on Jan. 5, 2016 with a 104-78 win, the first ACC win over 100 points since 1991.
I remember the first time I saw former NC State basketball point guard Dennis Smith Jr. play live. It was at Primetime with the Pack, and I was eager to finally see the five-star recruit from Fayetteville in action.
It’s one thing to watch Smith play on YouTube (where he boasts seven videos with over one millions views each). It’s another thing to see his explosive athleticism in person. I remember one play where he threw the ball between Chris Corchiani Jr’s legs and then punched a one-hand dunk, and another when he threw the ball off the backboard to himself from the free throw line for a two-hand jam.
Keep in mind: Smith is 6 feet 2 inches tall, and it was just confirmed in a workout with the Lakers that he tied the record for highest vertical jump in the NBA at 48 inches. For context, Michael Jordan only ever recorded 46.
Smith has been in the spotlight since his sophomore season in high school, and he’s caught the attention of popular figures everywhere. When Stephen Curry of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors admits to stealing moves from you or when rapper J. Cole invites you over to his crib to listen to music, you know you’re a special player. Smith is predicted to get selected in the NBA Draft Thursday at least in the top 10, so what is it exactly that separates him from the pack?
For starters, he had an incredible individual season: averaging 18.1 points, leading the conference in assists with 6.2 per game and was awarded ACC Freshman of the Year honors. Smith was also the first player in ACC history to record two triple-doubles in a season. And let’s not forget the win against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium, where Smith had 32 points and six assists, ending the night with a vicious tomahawk dunk after the buzzer.
Thus, many believe Smith to have the highest upside of any player available. Often regarded as the most athletic point guard in the draft, he’s capable of taking two dribbles from the wing and slamming a thunderous dunk. With a strong frame at 6-foot-3, 195 lbs, combined with his athleticism and playmaking, Smith has the potential to be one of the best guards in the NBA one day.
Even still, many mock drafts have Smith floating around the sixth through eighth picks, though it wasn’t terribly long ago when he was projected to be number one. To be fair, this draft class is absolutely stacked, boasting dynamic players such as Lonzo Ball and Markelle Fultz. But NBA general managers have real concerns when it comes to Smith that caused his draft stock to dip slightly.
His knee is something many coaches are worried about, as he tore his ACL in August of his senior year of high school, and came to State in January after graduating early for rehab. Players who rely on their athleticism like Smith does are not the same after an ACL tear. Even still, Smith put up incredible numbers in his first season back, proving he can still jump out of the gym. So, Smith’s new team will have to hope he stays healthy to avoid another Derrick Rose scenario.
There are also concerns about his size, defense, and shooting ability. Smith has an average wingspan at 6’3”, whereas Markelle Fultz, who is often the undisputed first pick, has a massive 6’10” wingspan at nearly the same height. At times, Smith can appear lackadaisical on defense, and shot around 30 percent on two-point jumpers.
However, Smith has shown that he can step up his game to the next level. He was the freshman point guard of a team that finished last in the ACC — of course he’s going to make mistakes and have lapses on defense. Bearing the burdens of leading a team in the most competitive conference, Smith has shown that he has superstar potential.