Mavs Moneyball - NBA Draft 2017: Mavericks select point guard Dennis Smith, Jr. with ninth pickRick Carlisle approved.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50869/mmb-fav.png2017-06-24T08:00:03-05:00http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/rss/stream/156157312017-06-24T08:00:03-05:002017-06-24T08:00:03-05:00Dennis Smith, Jr. was easily the best dressed draftee
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<p>I won’t hear any arguments to the contrary.</p> <p id="SICwHY">As with most drafts before it, the 2017 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft">NBA Draft</a> was as much about the eccentric and unique style of the draftees as it was about the intrigue of which teams would select which players. There were some definite oddities (looking at you, <span>Markelle Fultz</span>’s shoes made of basketball material), but in my humble opinion, the best looks of the night were variations on the classics.</p>
<p id="72AYCj">And I’m proud to say that no one looked better Thursday night than the Mavs’ very own draft pick, NC State point guard Dennis Smith, Jr. I mean, just look at this:</p>
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<cite>Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="OlhXzY">I’ve always found the decision of suit versus tux interesting for these things, and over the years, I’ve developed a bias in favor of tuxes. This is a formal, but fun, event, and it seems that the players find more ways to make tuxes unique and intricate, while maintaining a classy vibe. Often the more garish and over-the-top (in a bad way) looks tend to come in suit form, for whatever reason. </p>
<p id="upW6JI">Dennis wisely went with the tux, but not just any tux. He really stepped up his game and went with the double-breasted tux. Just stunning. I love that he went with a white patterned jacket over the slimcut black slacks. It’s evocative of a Bond-esque smoking jacket, but the pattern gives it a modern edge. Plus the black shawl-style lapels, buttons, pocket square and bowtie tie the whole thing together with the simple black slacks. Extra points for what appears to be an actual bowtie, rather than a clip on.</p>
<p id="XGtBwH">Even classier were the formal studs and cufflinks on Dennis’s stark white dress shirt, with just a perfect amount of cuff exposed by his jacket sleeves. The little details really set off the Bond vibe perfectly.</p>
<p id="kcm8Kr">Finally, the shoes. I know there are a lot of people (stuffy, boring people) who don’t love the formal slipper and no socks look. Many of you complained about it all the time when<span> Chandler Parson</span>s would rock this look during his many injured stints on the bench. </p>
<p id="tGLWKf">To you folks, I say get with the times. This is a stylish, modern look that adds just the right amount of fun and flair to tone down what could otherwise have been an overly formal look. And it could have been worse—Dennis went stylish but simple with his footwear, as opposed to the heavy metal-themed slippers<span> Malik Mon</span>k tried to pull off.</p>
<p id="SxdrTI">I seriously don’t have a single negative thing to say about this look. If Dennis plays half as well as he dresses, the Mavs have a bona fide star on their hands.</p>
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https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2017/6/24/15864680/nba-draft-2017-fashion-dennis-smith-jr-best-dressed-drafteeBailey Grey2017-06-23T14:00:02-05:002017-06-23T14:00:02-05:002017 NBA Draft: Dallas Mavericks report card
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<figcaption>Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The general consensus is that Mavericks fans love their new point guard. National draft pundits seem to agree.</p> <p id="xgHAiN">Going into the draft, there were a handful of players we thought the <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Mavericks</a> wanted, depending on how the draft played out. <span>Frank Ntilikina</span> seemed like a total Mavericks draft pick from the beginning. Then we thought Dallas might be trading up for a chance at Jonathan Isaac. But after the Mavericks selected Dennis Smith Jr., <span>Rick Carlisle</span> and Donnie Nelson told us otherwise: this is the player they wanted all along. </p>
<p id="IBRRLT">Whether because of his skill set, fit or upside, most NBA experts graded the Mavs’ selection positively and seem to agree that the Mavericks and Dennis Smith Jr. could be a match made in heaven.</p>
<p id="bXfwDO">Here’s what the major outlets had to say:</p>
<p id="POwgiX"><a href="http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2017-nba-draft-grades-and-breakdown-for-each-and-every-draft-selection/"><strong>CBS Sports</strong></a><strong>: B</strong></p>
<blockquote><p id="64NFpk">Risky pick, huge upside. Most explosive player in draft. Inconsistent. Fifth point guard taken! Grade: B</p></blockquote>
<p id="SfmMQ9"><a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2017/06/22/nba-draft-grades-players-teams-76ers-lakers-celtics"><strong>SI.com</strong></a><strong>: A</strong></p>
<blockquote><p id="BjnS8u">Dallas has been in search of a franchise point guard for a long time, and hopes Smith will be that. He’s an explosive athlete and talented scorer who can make plays off the dribble and comes with a ton of upside. This is great value for the Mavericks, who gain a legitimate long-term asset as they continue to prepare for the post-Dirk era. In a weaker draft, Smith might have been a top-five talent.</p></blockquote>
<p id="ucchOr"><a href="http://www.foxsports.com/nba/gallery/nba-draft-grades-lakers-celtics-bulls-lonzo-ball-trade-jimmy-butler-062317"><strong>Fox Sports</strong></a><strong>: B</strong></p>
<blockquote><p id="ieb5oU">DSJ and Mavs coach Rick Carlisle could end up butting heads, but I love this pick for Dallas. Smith is better than his performance at N.C. State last year would indicate. Grade: B</p></blockquote>
<p id="s8x0VH"><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fnba%2Fdraft%2F2017%2F06%2F22%2F2017-nba-draft-tracker-live-picks-analysis-grades%2F420430001%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mavsmoneyball.com%2F2017%2F6%2F23%2F15861488%2F2017-nba-draft-dallas-mavericks-report-card" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>USA Today</strong></a><strong>: A</strong></p>
<blockquote><p id="Zva8te">There's an argument that Smith is the best "true" point guard in this draft, which is saying something given the top two picks. He's a fierce competitor, excellent athlete and good fit for an NBA dominated by the pick-and-roll game. Questions about his efficiency and headstrong attitude persisted and caused him to slip a little, but at No. 9, for a team that needs a point guard, this is a great fit</p></blockquote>
<p id="BchaQ9"><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2717356-nba-draft-picks-2017-list-of-results-grades-and-analysis"><strong>Bleacher Report</strong></a><strong>: A</strong></p>
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<p id="PUasJL"><span>Yogi Ferrell</span> was a nice surprise for the Dallas Mavericks last season, but they couldn't pass on a higher-ceiling 1 in Dennis Smith here.</p>
<p id="ppAZo1">The explosive scoring guard, who <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/2017/06/11/nba-draft-dennis-smith-jr-enjoyed-working-out-in-group-setting/">reportedly</a> had a 48-inch vertical during the predraft process, gives Dallas a long-term option at point guard who can grow alongside <span>Harrison Barnes</span> and <span>Nerlens Noel</span> (assuming he's re-signed). </p>
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<p id="ediyc7"><a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/6/22/15852264/nba-draft-2017-grades-round-1-sixers-lakers-celtics"><strong>SB Nation</strong></a><strong>: A</strong></p>
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<p id="U4ogpn">The Mavs earn a solid grade for two reasons. The first is that Smith looks legit; he’s the most exciting young guard Dallas has had since <span>Yogi Ferrell</span> wait <span>Seth Curry</span> hold on <span>Jeremy Lin</span> I mean Rodrigue “The Untouchable” Beaubois.</p>
<p id="Psa3tW">The second is that the Mavs kept this pick so close to the vest that ESPN’s live broadcast closed to within five minutes of the Twitter leakers (Shams Charania, in this case). Well done! </p>
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<p id="c2MzNC">At this point, it’s impossible to know if Smith will become the player everyone seems to think he can be. It is clear, though, that the front office did its homework and maximized both the value and fit by selecting Smith with the ninth pick. </p>
<p id="cHhPPX">Is it time for Summer League yet?</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2017/6/23/15861488/2017-nba-draft-dallas-mavericks-report-cardSam Guertler2017-06-23T13:10:24-05:002017-06-23T13:10:24-05:00Undrafted players the Mavericks should look at
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<p>The Mavericks look to strike gold again</p> <p id="GV7pRh"><em>[Editor’s note: since undrafted signings are proceeding fast and furiously, apologies if this piece is out of date quickly -- we’ve been trying to get it up but teams keep signing guys!]</em></p>
<p id="NvAZEx">After the adrenaline of drafting the <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Dallas Mavericks</a>’ point guard of the future Dennis Smith Jr. wears down, Donnie Nelson and the front office have no time to rest. </p>
<p id="R3k1k3">Yes free agency is barely a week away. But before that, NBA teams immediately start making phone calls to prospects who weren’t drafted last night to sign them to summer league or training camp contracts. </p>
<p id="dKkoA0">Though it can be a tough road for players taken after the early second round, going undrafted isn’t always a bad thing:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Going undrafted isn't always a bad thing. 19 of the 30 second round picks played in the NBA last year and 22 undrafted guys got run.</p>— CJ Moore (@CJMooreHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/CJMooreHoops/status/878106526812176384">June 23, 2017</a>
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<p id="5fRhad">Just ask<span> J.J. Bare</span>a,<span> Wesley Matthew</span>s,<span> Seth Curr</span>y,<span> Yogi Ferrel</span>l,<span> Dorian Finney-Smit</span>h...you get the idea. If a player is willing to work hard, continues to push themselves to grow, and finds the right situation, they can contribute to a NBA team. </p>
<p id="F9EzvU">Here are a few players the Mavericks should take a look at, and let us know your favorite prospects in the comment below! </p>
<h4 id="zDJsem">Johnathan Motley, Baylor (PF)</h4>
<p id="3kddLK">Big XII basketball fans should be familiar with the name and the game. Motley finished up his redshirt junior season on a solid Baylor team and declared for the draft, many projecting him to be picked in the early second round. It appears teams hesitated due to a previous knee injury. But make no mistake, Motley is a powerful, athletic power forward with length and the ability to rebound. He has agility and skill for his size, and deserves the opportunity to prove his worth to<span> Rick Carlisl</span>e and the front office. </p>
<h4 id="ruyZt3">Andrew White, Syracuse (SG)</h4>
<p id="SA203s">White bounced around a bit in college, finishing up a long college career at Syracuse. His potential at the next level is found in his 3 and D potential. Possessing great size (6’7”, 220 pounds), and shooting 40 percent from the three, White is the type of player that NBA teams are constantly looking for. Though Syracuse is known for their zone defense, White showed perimeter defensive ability at his previous schools (Nebraska and Kansas). With a great summer, it’s easy to see White competing for time with guys like Dorian Finney-Smith and Nico Brussino.</p>
<h4 id="UqN1UG">Isaac Humphries, Kentucky (C)</h4>
<p id="RfLCri">Getting caught behind some top level talent at Kentucky, this Australian center decided to pursue professional basketball after his sophomore year. Because he played such limited minutes in college, it’s hard to look at numbers and project what Humphries can be. He has played some time with the Australian national team, so he has some experience with high level talent. And he looks to be a solid rebounder with pro-level size (7’0”, 260 pounds). He’s a traditional block presence that will need to hone his savviness, to make up for athleticism. Even with the evolution of the game, the NBA can always use guys looking to work the block and grab boards. </p>
<p id="i44lvs">The Mavericks spent some pre-draft time working out players projected to be late second round or undrafted, so they have some idea of who they want to look at. There should always be low expectations for what they can find, but with their recent success with these crop of players, it’s conceivable that one of these summer signings ends up making the roster in the fall. </p>
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https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2017/6/23/15862110/2017-nba-draft-the-undrafted-players-the-dalllas-mavericks-should-look-atJordan Brodess2017-06-23T12:00:02-05:002017-06-23T12:00:02-05:00In selecting Dennis Smith Jr., the Mavericks finally took the draft seriously
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<p>This time it mattered, and Dallas didn’t disappoint.</p> <p id="2HmdlW">I can’t remember the last time I actually cared about who the <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Dallas Mavericks</a> drafted. Growing up in the 1990s, I didn’t care because I was a kid and the team was bad. When the team traded for <span>Dirk Nowitzki</span> on draft day back in the summer of 1998, I didn’t pay much attention other than to think: “Who?” I remember when they drafted <span>Devin Harris</span> and <span>Josh Howard</span> and signed <span>Marquis Daniels</span> as an undrafted free agent. I cared enough then, but not as much as I probably should have. The team was finally good, and as long as they were serviceable, I was happy. </p>
<p id="IChNA4">But on Thursday night, I finally cared. </p>
<p id="MYEFtB">It’s weird following a team for longer than some of the staff writers here have been alive and completely shrugging off a major responsibility of the organization. Conversely, it’s weird that the organization would do the same for so many years. This time, though, it mattered. With the Mavs rebuilding, or “retooling” as Donnie Nelson puts it, earnestly for the first time since the late 90s, Dallas had to get this one right. They couldn’t punt their pick on another <span>Maurice Ager</span> (who is a Grammy winner, by the way) or Shane Larkin. They needed a future star.</p>
<p id="To0GHu">I spent yesterday evening at the American Airlines Center, with the usual cast of media characters who cover the team, plus a few others. In the Jack Daniels Old No. 7 Club, every television was turned to ESPN for the draft. Downstairs, where the Club looks out over the practice gym in the AAC and the nondescript bowels of the building, a metallic podium was set up with a Mavs logo backdrop. </p>
<p id="HV8UuU">We were all waiting for Donnie Nelson, the Mavs’ general manager, to come out and field questions before the draft got underway and he retreated to the war room. When he did address the room, he was frank. He came right out and said that the team had a hole at point guard and that they were happy drafting in the ninth spot and wouldn’t look to move. </p>
<p id="eQHuAy">“Nine is a really solid area where there’s a group of players that we really like,” Nelson said.</p>
<p id="dRS5Zr">Can you believe it? The Mavs aren’t going to trade down or potentially draft <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanguy_Ngombo">some guy who plays in Qatar</a>?! Be still my heart! Maybe I picked a good year to finally care.</p>
<p id="zNvWIW">To be honest, I, like the Mavs, was forced to care. This was the first time since 1998 that the team had a top-10 pick. Even though I cover the team for a couple of outlets, I’ve never really invested in covering potential college prospects for the draft. I haven’t had to. It just hasn’t been part of the Mavericks’ culture. Frankly, I don’t know how Sixers fans do it. Their team has been bad for a while, but at least they have a glimmer of hope now (and that’s better than the Eagles’ chances of ever winning a <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a>). But I’m not used to it. </p>
<p id="rXjuZY">With Nelson retired behind closed doors, we, like everyone else, were left refreshing Twitter to see where the pieces fell. After Nelson made it clear that the team was in the market for a point guard, the names to watch were De’Aaron Fox, <span>Frank Ntilikina</span>, and Dennis Smith, Jr. It wasn’t even worth worrying about <span>Markelle Fultz</span> or Lonzo Ball. They went one and two as predicted. </p>
<p id="LLHYA7">Fox was always a long shot to be available with the Mavs picking ninth. Every mock had him going in the top five. The <a href="https://www.sactownroyalty.com/">Kings</a> took him with the fifth pick. Now it was down to two. OK, cool. No, your heart is pounding. </p>
<p id="A4onP0">Ntilikina and Smith were the players I had done the most research on. Both seemed likely to be available when the Mavs were on the clock, and both are good guards but with <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2017/6/22/15850824/2017-nba-draft-dallas-mavericks-should-dallas-select-frank-ntilikina-or-dennis-smith">very different styles of play</a>. For one, Ntilikina presents more of an off-the-ball threat that might work better in a triangle offense like they run in New York. The <a href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">Knicks</a> having the eighth pick and a strong interest in him gave me pause. Everything the Mavs had done signaled that Ntilikina was high on their preference list. They hired his coach for their Orlando Summer League staff, and Mark Cuban was taking selfies with him in Italy. If it was all a ruse, it was an elaborate one. </p>
<p id="O204PL">As for Smith, he’s athletic and built to operate in space where he can beat defenders of the dribble to get to the rim or work the pick and roll. Hey, that’s how the Mavs play! OMG! SMITH! PLEASE!</p>
<p id="Zc0sG7">Or Ntilikina. Whatever. It’s cool.</p>
<p id="NO3HPp">Here come the Knicks. Boom. <a href="https://twitter.com/WojVerticalNBA/status/878043128606769154">Woj</a>. Ntilikina. WOW.</p>
<p id="4l8NLq">At this moment, I realized that the Mavs were going to get Smith. (Are you still reading this?) It was a foregone conclusion in my mind. Staring at my phone screen, I kept refreshing Woj’s Twitter page. No fake Woj was going to fool me. No sir. I only dabble in fake news on April Fool’s Day.</p>
<p id="ZAZ5Ae">A minute goes by. </p>
<p id="IKZF0q">Fine.</p>
<p id="MHHV4R">Another. </p>
<p id="5bDgAz">Cool.</p>
<p id="efrU16">More still. </p>
<p id="VrNgIH">Uhh…</p>
<p id="6qKN9c">Still more. </p>
<p id="8wAlNH">Are you there, Woj? It’s me, Doyle.</p>
<p id="jyOY83">I look up to see if I can catch a glimpse of him flashing through the AAC bowels to get the scoop on the pick. He’s not there. </p>
<p id="IYyWpK">Time no longer serves a fundamental purpose in my life. Now it is a harbinger of chaos and uncertainty. Woj must be dead. </p>
<p id="rgDLAS">12 minutes and nothing. </p>
<p id="fb1uIB">How is this possible?</p>
<p id="5DfAdr">15 minutes. </p>
<p id="TowfY3">A glimmer of hope.</p>
<p id="yd953n">My eyes adjust as if I’ve just seen the morning sun. Woj, is that you? No! <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/878046859033419776">It’s Shams</a>! Shams has saved us all!</p>
<p id="8w9cYY">THE MAVS WILL SELECT DENNIS SMITH JR. WITH THE NINTH PICK! Sweet sassy molassy!</p>
<p id="AJ3c0h">Being that I was in a room full of media and members of the Mavericks’ staff. The response was subdued. Dennis Smith. Cool. That’s a good pick. Well done. It’s funny how unlike Twitter the real world is. Twitter is just a nonstop party unless you’ve fallen into Healthcare Twitter.</p>
<p id="DlrUlC">“This is a historic night for us,” <span>Rick Carlisle</span> said shortly after the pick was announced by Commissioner Adam Silver on television. Carlisle isn’t one to embellish when he speaks, so historic stands out. What he said next was especially striking. </p>
<p id="py0vJ4">“Before anybody asks, I think, at this point and time, I would project him as a starter,” Carlisle continued. “I’d project him as a starter, but he’s going to have to earn it and he understands that.”</p>
<p id="i9l41J">A rookie starter? Right out of the gate? I think the last time this happened was with <span>Jae Crowder</span>. I could be wrong, though. The Mavs obviously have a hole to fill and Smith fits the bill, but that’s still a tall order for a rookie. I have a feeling he’ll earn it, though. He’s a good player and will fit well within the system. He even said all the right things when he spoke to the room via phone. </p>
<p id="lDZNpS">“The Mavs can expect to get a point guard who’s trying to win every game,” Smith said. “Not selfish at all. Not caring about stats, but I do want to make my teammates better and I think that’s very important in winning games and having a great effort, and I can bring that to the team.”</p>
<p id="spzMvM">If he’s serious, then he already sounds like he belongs in the Mavs’ locker room. He’ll fit right in with <span>Wesley Matthews</span> and Harrison Barnes. Not only that, but he brings a bit of attitude to the roster. The team has never had a point guard with his set of skills. I’m not sure the team has ever had a point guard who looks to dunk. </p>
<p id="f6g0pE">“I’m going to go out and be Dennis Smith and nothing can stop that,” he said.</p>
<p id="i5bF4o">Shit yeah! </p>
<p id="achcE1">It’s really no coincidence that I cared about who the Mavs drafted the first year that they were forced to care. In a way, it’s like there’s a weird symbiotic relationship that formed between their attitude and mine. That’s not to say that’s been the case with everything they do, but it certainly has with the draft. Perhaps it wasn’t symbiotic. Maybe I was just conditioned to look at the draft with low expectations after years of whiffs. Whatever it was, I hope I’ve seen the last of it. I finally care, and the Mavericks finally have hope. They might even have a future star. I’d call that a win even on the worst day. </p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2017/6/23/15860648/2017-nba-draft-dallas-mavericks-dennis-smith-jr-i-finally-care-about-who-the-mavs-draftDoyle Rader2017-06-23T10:00:03-05:002017-06-23T10:00:03-05:00Quoteboard from Mavericks draft headquarters
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<figcaption>Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Here’s what Rick Carlisle, Michael Finley, Donnie Nelson and Dennis Smith, Jr. had to say after the draft.</p> <h3 id="eeEADK">
<a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/"><strong>Mavericks</strong></a><strong> </strong><strong>head </strong><strong>coach </strong><span><strong>Rick Carlisle</strong></span>
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<p id="BpC1l0">“This is a huge day for us, a huge night. I started studying the draft back in March with the way our season was going. There were four really big time point guards in the draft. I love Dennis Smith. I thought he was as good as any of them... I just never dreamed at nine having the opportunity to take one of those four guys.</p>
<p id="PZr6u6">“We’re getting a guy that’s an instant impact guy: he has great quickness, he's explosive, he can score, he can pass.</p>
<p id="hozuds">“We didn't have [Smith] in for a workout because it just didn't seem like he was gonna fall to us. Last several days, couple of our guys went down to a pro day he had in Raleigh, had a great visit with him there.</p>
<p id="UaOuRu">“Donnie, myself, Mike Finley FaceTimed him a couple days ago and asked him some pointed questions that were not easy questions for a guy in his position about coming into a team with some veterans. He's a no-nonsense guy... he’s a hit-first personality, he wants to be great.</p>
<p id="GC0KYZ">“Before anybody asks at this point in time, I would project him as a starter, but he's gonna have to earn it and he understands that.</p>
<p id="S9XRdJ">“This is a historic night for us. Fulfilled a great need. Playmaking is such an important part of the NBA game now, that having guys like Dennis Smith, Jr. that can create simply on their own, let alone pick and rolls (and pick and rolls with Dirk), is a great blessing for us tonight.”</p>
<h4 id="IGpN7Z">On what Smith brings besides athleticism</h4>
<p id="bjeDe1">“In our interviews, he’s highly intelligent, very mature, and he was in a very challenging situation this year, coming off an ACL [injury] last year in high school. Their team was not as good as they wanted to be. All those things considered, he had great responses to questions. Very forthright kid. No nonsense, no bull.</p>
<p id="NUmkM0">“We let him know if we were in a position to take him and he end up here, we were gonna give him a lot of love, but we were gonna give him the honest truth everyday and we were gonna bust his butt to make him as great as he can be.</p>
<p id="TK1wz9">“He’s a great playmaker. I asked him the question, ‘Who do you think your game is like?’... He thought that he was a bit like <span>Derrick Rose</span> as a stronger point guard that could slash, create, shoot the ball, create, do those kind of things... That’s not bad, that’s a former MVP.</p>
<p id="tYScxb">“Dennis has a lot of ability. We feel he has the ability to improve a lot going forward. Entering the NBA can be a very humbling thing, but we're gonna make sure he has the support and the education and the necessary steps to step into this thing the right way. We believe he's gonna be a tremendous player for us and right away.”</p>
<h4 id="PbeZxl">On how long it took to make the pick on the clock</h4>
<p id="5t0Pm0">“Once we had confirmation New York was taking Frank [Ntilikina], there was a lot of silence until we actually heard the name Frank by the commissioner, then there was an uproarious group applause in there. It was thunderous. We’re very fortunate.”</p>
<h4 id="Civ89R">On what the Mavs would have done if Frank and Smith were both available</h4>
<p id="ydZGCg">“We knew they weren't. That's Donnie Nelson, Mike Finley, mine, and Mark Cuban's job to know those things.”</p>
<h4 id="muAXvE">On concerns about Smith’s motor</h4>
<p id="fih7rl">“Those were questions that we asked him. Rather than play amateur psych and give you an answer of what he said, he’ll be here tomorrow and those are questions you can ask him and he’ll welcome them. He knows he’s not a perfect player and not a perfect product. That's one of the things we really like about him.”</p>
<h4 id="NEBPSe">On Smith’s defense</h4>
<p id="h5MiIr">“There's no player that comes into the NBA game that doesn't have potential to improve defensively. It's just a fact. It doesn't matter who you're talking about. That's gonna be an adjustment.</p>
<p id="s0tBFa">“That's something we talked to him about, that it would be challenging and that there would be times some of the veterans are gonna play ahead of him for that reason and that he's gonna have to push and continue to push to learn about the importance of defense and the different dynamics of the NBA.</p>
<p id="XFk4wM">“The players at this level are just so much bigger and faster and quicker than college. There's just gonna be an adjustment, there's no two ways about it.”</p>
<h4 id="jL9FX4">On forming a relationship</h4>
<p id="cuHecq">“Same relationship with all my players: truthful respectful, do everything possible to make his experience as a Dallas Maverick life changing. I'm all about growth.”</p>
<h4 id="3nBh3H">On whether the Mavs always wanted a PG in the draft</h4>
<p id="XhVZke">“We had our bases covered if this kind of player was not available. But the truth is, you've gotta be prepared for every single scenario. When you're really prepared and you really do the work, you get some breaks.”</p>
<h4 id="VyFpTZ">Was Mark’s trip to Europe to see <span>Frank Ntilikina</span> a smokescreen?</h4>
<p id="gSQ4IR">“We like Frank, we like Frank a lot. Mark was over there on a family vacation to Italy, so things just lined up. We were unable to get Frank over here for a workout because his team kept winning.</p>
<p id="5fcyNN">“There wasn't one move made that wasn't meaningful. Wasn't to cover a base, to dot an i or cross a t. We liked Frank very much.”</p>
<h4 id="bxiylo">What kind of questions did Smith ask</h4>
<p id="ukADFd">“He didn't ask him that much, he just said I'm ready to go. Make no mistake, this is a very confident young man. He has great belief in his abilities. He’s got a group of family people that support him unbelievably well. He’s prepared for this moment. He’s gone through a lot to get here with the knee injury and a lot of other things.</p>
<p id="boYTS6">“We’re thrilled. When you see this guy get on the court and see him playing, you’re going to understand our enthusiasm even more”</p>
<h3 id="Vrhest">Mavericks executive <span>Michael Finley</span>
</h3>
<h4 id="weqwdB">What jumped out to you?</h4>
<p id="YTO6Jb">“He's a good kid. We’ve seen him in person playing, seen him on tape, but to have the opportunity to have a conversation with him was great.</p>
<p id="4KF8hB">“A very smart kid, has a lot of confidence in his game, and I think he's gonna be the type of player that not only will the team enjoy, but the community will enjoy, as well.”</p>
<h4 id="2KxfcX">On Smith coming in as the starter</h4>
<p id="kl0Rwh">“Well, I think coach hit it on the head, he has to earn the point guard position, the starting position. He has the talent and ability to hopefully become the starter, but like coach said, he has to earn it. For him, once you get to know him and talk to him, he's a very confident kid. He'll take that challenge and run with. He's gonna be the type of kid to come in and work extremely hard and do whatever he can to solidify himself as the starting point guard, but it’s definitely something he has to earn.”</p>
<h4 id="TBBHHC">On what Smith brings to the team</h4>
<p id="rPHrOZ">“With this day and age and the way the game is going, to have an athletic scorer at the wing, particularly at the point guard position, gives you a chance to compete and be competitive in each and every game.</p>
<p id="PT4dsY">“When you get a chance to see him play, it’ll be something to admire. He’s a tremendous athlete. He’ll give the Dallas fans something to cheer about, especially when he’s out on the break.</p>
<p id="Wc0z8N">“We feel hopefully he can come in and help us get out of this lottery position we were in this year. It was a happy moment because unlike some of the past drafts, the guy we really wanted, we got. </p>
<p id="SNps5c">“For us to have a chance to get him at No. 9... I think our scouts, coaches and front office were excited to have the opportunity to draft him.”</p>
<h4 id="UrsNKO">On what player Smith reminds him of</h4>
<p id="a9R6rC">“He compared himself to Derrick Rose with a jump shot. I said that's a pretty good comparison. If I had to think of a player, I felt that was pretty accurate, before Derrick got hurt, in his MVP years, he was a downhill point guard who liked to attack.”</p>
<h3 id="n9SRzh">Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson</h3>
<p id="QOcM8Z">“[Smith is] an electric young player with tons of potential. Obviously young, minutes are earned in this league. His skill set is rare. I think he'll be a terrific fit. Pick-and-roll point guard, big time athleticism. Tons of potential. I think with Rick and specifically the system that we play, it's a really really good fit.”</p>
<p id="eYR08k">“This was the guy that we were after. If we would have drafted a lot higher, he was the guy that we had circled. Strange set of circumstances panned out, surprise pick or two and we got our guy.</p>
<p id="Y5cb9E">“Positionally it fits, [our] really big hole was at point guard. He fits in really well with our guys, our chemistry, where we're going. We think he can be another really nice building block in what we’ll call our retool.</p>
<p id="IGeYSi">“He and Dirk in a pick and roll is exciting to think about. We are just ecstatic.</p>
<p id="2uATpl">“We haven't had an over-the-rim presence like that, a guy that can do pretty special things both with the long ball and opening things up. It's fair to say, we won a championship with Jason [Kidd], who was at a different stage of his career. We haven't had this kind of athletic presence since I've been with the Mavericks.</p>
<p id="jsdBQV">“Rick is a good, old school coach. Everyone knows that when you play for Rick, every minute is earned and it's gonna be a tough training camp. We feel as a franchise it's a matter of time, probably but that's in his court. Those are coaching decisions, and Rick’s the best in the business. It's really up to him if that transition happens early or latter. Training camp is gonna be important. He's gonna have to earn the respect of the locker room. I do know he has the skills to do it.”</p>
<h4 id="t16rnT">On if the Mavs aren’t targeting a point guard in free agency now</h4>
<p id="0YEzKJ">“I would say that’s accurate. If you look at our veteran leadership with Yogi, and to have this box checked as far as a future building block, our focus will probably be elsewhere.”</p>
<h4 id="uSe4N5">Description of the draft room</h4>
<p id="iZ0Z7a">“There was a lot of chest bumping out there, lot of chest bumping, high fiving. We work all year, scour the earth and come together, and it's a really intense time. This was one that we had to get right, and one we had to get a little lucky with. We feel both of those things kinda fell in place but it wasn't without a lot of effort.</p>
<p id="27I2Oh">“It’s well documented that Mark went halfway around the world because this was an important draft for us. Spent a lot of time making sure we checked off boxes. We don't want to get too excited about players, but he's got all the right stuff.”</p>
<h4 id="i6AhCS">On Mark Cuban’s visit with Frank Ntilikina</h4>
<p id="cZqqAG">“This city, this team is Mark's home and Mark's family. There's nothing he won't do, traveling the ends of the world to bring a champ back to Dallas. We hope today was one step toward that process.</p>
<h4 id="GCRBx0">On Dirk’s thoughts, since Dirk was in the draft room</h4>
<p id="1ItqK8">“I think Dirk understood the kind of electric player that Dennis is and what he can bring to the table. We were all pretty excited.”</p>
<h4 id="Hv9Tr4">On Smith having a leg up on other lottery picks because of the Mavs’ situation and veteran players</h4>
<p id="wroGJ2">“He has the ability for sure. He has the work ethic, he has the makeup. Great kid, not a good kid, a great kid. We did lots and lots of due diligence. It’s up to him.</p>
<p id="BdKnjL">“Those minutes have gotta be earned. Last I checked, J.J. [Barea] has a heart big as all outdoors, and <span>Devin Harris</span> is gonna come and try to get some of those minutes, and <span>Yogi Ferrell</span> had a pretty nice season for us last season, so it’s not easy for a 19-year-old to walk into that forum, and again, minutes are earned. So it's gonna be an exciting training camp.”</p>
<h4 id="PcuAki">What separates Smith from other point guards in this draft?</h4>
<p id="3cwHKt">“They're all different. If he wouldn't have had the season, the kind of challenges he had last year and he wouldn't have had his injury (which we obviously looked at and checked out), he would have gone a lot higher than nine, I can guarantee you that. So I think it was again a little luck, little bit of a fallen angel factor with the kind of season he struggled through, a lot of that was the players he was surrounded with.</p>
<p id="0b0zsN">“For you as a quarterback to know your head coach was gonna be gone halfway through the season, he showed a lot of gut and professionalism to fight through that. It’s hard and that's a lot of pressure for a 19-year-old to know you're basically playing for your coach's job, and to be notified halfway through the season, it's a very difficult situation. He's a very, very intelligent, mature young man with a great family surrounding.</p>
<p id="kdhMNj">“Those are the kinda guys we want to get inside our locker room.”</p>
<h4 id="8PMDs1">On concerns with his knee injury</h4>
<p id="vNAXZa">“Probably would have had a 50-inch vertical instead of a 48-inch vertical if he wasn't injured. His knee is fine, he's young, and again, we had a chance to do a deep dive on that. I think our fans are going to be really excited about this young player because he is ready to explode and wants to prove to the world that he's better than the position he was drafted in tonight.”</p>
<h3 id="WG11m7">Dennis Smith, Jr.</h3>
<p id="pNKLaJ">“It was great. They came to my pro day, and they were impressed with what they saw. I'm already impressed with the history with the organization. It didn't do anything but add to my admiration of the organization.</p>
<p id="X6AUGZ">“I’m definitely motivated. I just use it as fuel for the fire. I've been underrated my whole life, that's perfectly fine, I'm accustomed to it. I'm gonna go out there and be Dennis Smith, Jr. and nothing can stop that.</p>
<p id="wz6KyH">“Mavs can expect to get a point guard who's trying to win every game, not selfish at all, not caring about stats, but I do want to make my teammates better. That's very important in this game is having a team effort, and I can bring that to the table.</p>
<p id="mmSQmP">“With Dirk and Nerlens, it's gonna be great. Dirk can teach me a lot of things even though he’s never been a ball handler in the pick and roll. He can teach me a lot because he knows the ins and outs of the game, and I'm looking forward to learning from him.”</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2017/6/23/15860516/2017-nba-draft-quoteboard-from-mavericks-draft-headquartersJosh Bowe2017-06-23T08:00:06-05:002017-06-23T08:00:06-05:00The Mavericks finally got their guy in Dennis Smith, Jr.
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<img alt="NBA: Draft" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/F5_eqZyh9dh1YPBH4qkmiwuJmOU=/0x1136:2610x2876/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55406169/usa_today_10126605.1498192281.jpg" />
<figcaption>Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Dallas has been searching for a star since they broke up the title team. They might have drafted one on Thursday night.</p> <p id="7ctLwz">DALLAS — When NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the <a href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">New York Knicks</a> took Frank Ntilikina with the eighth pick in the 2017 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft">NBA Draft</a>, the <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Mavericks</a> war room emerged from their silence.</p>
<p id="XdSsFB">“There was an uproarious group applause in there,” <span>Rick Carlisle</span> said. “It was thunderous. We’re very fortunate.”</p>
<h3 id="dLtHHH">The Mavericks got their guy</h3>
<p id="h6XGot">With the ensuing ninth pick, Dallas took Dennis Smith, Jr. from N.C. State, and a franchise that had spent years chasing stars and dreams through free agency might have finally gotten their star from the process fans had been begging them to use since the title team — the draft.</p>
<p id="SsDP1K">In any other recent draft, Smith would have been regarded as a top five or even top three pick. In a loaded draft like this one, the Mavs magically landed the point guard of their dreams. After the failed <span>Deron Williams</span> chase in 2012, the <span>Darren Collison</span>-<span>Derek Fisher</span>-<span>Mike James</span> saga and the <span>Rajon Rondo</span> mishap, the drafting of Smith felt like the relief the Mavs and the fans have been seeking for years.</p>
<p id="kqW9Em">“It was a happy moment because unlike some of the past drafts, the guy we really wanted, we got,” current Mavs team executive and former Mavs All-Star Michael Finley said.</p>
<p id="NHFd0g">Carlisle isn’t one to succumb to hyperbole, so it was eye-opening to hear him throw some of the superlatives out there about picking Smith. “This is a historic night for us,” he said after declaring that as of right now he’d project Smith as the starting point guard.</p>
<p id="reSvbY">“We’re getting a guy that’s an instant impact guy,” Carlisle said. “He has great quickness, he's explosive, he can score, he can pass.”</p>
<p id="5bL4oL">This was much needed for the Mavs. It was their first top-10 draft pick since 1998, the year Dirk was drafted. It was coming after their first losing season in 17 years. Every move since the title team and the Rondo trade seemed to drop the Mavericks deeper into irrelevancy. The <span>Harrison Barnes</span> signing and <span>Nerlens Noel</span> trade seem to have turned things around, and the Smith pick may well be the topper.</p>
<p id="GnIw0d">With the Mavs’ draft history, there was so much potential for this to go wrong. The Knicks made their pick at eight, and Mavs twitter almost swallowed itself as we waited until the clock had nearly run out for the Mavs decision to leak. What if they picked <span>Zach Collins</span>? What if they traded back? Instead, they stayed put and picked the stud.</p>
<h3 id="h8ed4I">Any concerns?</h3>
<p id="MGpYEn">There is no guarantee that Smith is a sure thing, and the Mavs will tell you that. “We don't want to get too excited about players, but he's got all the right stuff,” Mavs GM Donnie Nelson said.</p>
<p id="7kUx4T">Nelson, Carlisle and Finley all preached that Smith would have to earn his minutes, earn his starting job. And as Carlisle always preaches with younger guys, defense will take time.</p>
<p id="JpMjMN">“That's something we talked to him about, that it would be challenging and that there would be times some of the veterans are gonna play ahead of him for that reason,” Carlisle said. “He’s gonna have to push and continue to push to learn about the importance of defense and the different dynamics of the NBA.”</p>
<p id="VlHIEZ">As far as other cons from Smith, the Mavs covered their bases. They had their team sports psychologist talk to Smith and he told Carlisle he’s an “OKG -- Our Kinda Guy.” The Mavs didn’t get to workout Smith in Dallas, but they went to his pro day and talked to him over video chat a couple days ago. There have been rumblings since his season ended that Smith had some attitude issues that led to N.C State’s disappointing season and the ousting of their head coach. The Mavs feel they’ve done their due diligence there.</p>
<h3 id="dL4HKN">What Smith brings to the table</h3>
<p id="XpATrt">Other than that, the Smith pick almost feels too good to be true. Dallas has been yearning for an athletic point guard like a man lost in the desert looking for water. Smith doesn’t just have good pick-and-roll skills, he’s a monstrous athlete. This is a dude that has no fear going toward the rim.</p>
<div id="pGLaqj"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b6zmRpZcLg8?rel=0&amp;controls=2" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="f5MGjf">This is a guy that told the Mavs he’s “<span>Derrick Rose</span> with a jump shot” and, honestly, looking at his film, you can’t help but think of Rose back in his MVP form before the injuries. He should excel in the pick and roll in Dallas, playing with real NBA teammates and not mediocre college ones. When Smith turns the corner on his first pick and roll with Dirk, it’ll probably look like the Red Sea is parting for him.</p>
<p id="NLhioR">“Dirk can teach me a lot of things even though he’s never been a ball handler in the pick and roll,” Smith said on the phone after getting drafted. “He can teach me a lot because he knows the ins and outs of the game, and I'm looking forward to learning from him.”</p>
<h3 id="m7xeGb">What Smith means for the future</h3>
<p id="nYyzxt">A year ago the Mavs had seemingly no promising players under the age of 30. Now they have <span>Nerlens Noel</span>, <span>Harrison Barnes</span> and Dennis Smith. He’ll compliment their games, giving Noel a lob partner and Barnes an outlet to take some of the pressure off him on offense. Nelson called it a “retool” in order to avoid the dreaded “rebuilding” term, but it’s hard not to get excited about this young crew giving Dirk one last ride and then taking the reigns when he’s gone.</p>
<p id="6jDqSI">This was the most important draft for the Mavericks in 20 years. They needed someone who could become a star once Dirk retires. Drafts are crap-shoots, so who really knows, but they did the best they could and they got not only their guy, but the fans’ guy too.</p>
<p id="keL5AU">That sounds like a cause for celebration.</p>
<p id="BD2zao">“There was a lot of chest bumping out there,” Nelson said about the war room right after Smith was picked. “Lot of chest bumping, high-fiving. We work all year, scour the earth and come together and it's a really intense time. This was one that we had to get right.”</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2017/6/23/15860196/2017-nba-draft-the-dallas-mavericks-finally-got-their-guy-in-dennis-smith-jrJosh Bowe2017-06-23T05:28:18-05:002017-06-23T05:28:18-05:00Dennis Smith Jr. ushers in a new era for the Dallas Mavericks
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<img alt="NBA: Draft" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wnCYjm6Ig5LnU654VmsLKAyUIkg=/0x110:4440x3070/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55407961/usa_today_10126624.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>In last night’s draft, the Mavericks selected a player with true star potential. That’s not a sentence I’ve ever written.</p> <p id="kf0Knl">Before we talk about the player Dallas selected in last night’s draft, allow me to rewind for a second. In July of last year, the team was at a crossroads. Actually, to be perfectly honest, they were in shambles. Free agent signee and Mark Cuban club buddy <span>Chandler Parsons</span> was being ushered out the door, seemingly just after he’d arrived. The latest iteration of “Plan Powder”—this time the dual pursuit of big man <span>Hassan Whiteside</span> and point guard <span>Mike Conley</span>—had imploded, leaving a tattered mess of a roster featuring an aging <span>Dirk Nowitzki</span>, a post-Achilles Wesley Matthews, and...uh...</p>
<p id="mSB7Uv">It felt precarious at the time, but looking back, it’s difficult to properly express just how dire this situation was. The Mavs didn’t have a 2016 draft pick, thanks to the epic failure that was the <span>Rajon Rondo</span> experiment. The only players under 25 even on the roster were 2015 first rounder <span>Justin Anderson</span> and <span>Dwight Powell</span>, who Dallas would pay well over market to retain in free agency, because again, those were the only guys under 25 on the roster.</p>
<p id="qHtLh7">This was an outcome years in the making, the result of a post-2011 approach that combined basically ignoring the draft and prioritizing cap flexibility over continuity. So, not only did Dallas have an empty void at two-thirds of their starting lineup, they had virtually no young pieces to develop.</p>
<h4 id="Dtyeui">Dennis Smith, Jr. is the start of a new era in Dallas</h4>
<p id="o7dPQM">Fast forward to now, and things look much, much different. How did it happen? Well, it wasn’t easy.</p>
<p id="7jSqtu">First, Dallas took a big gamble on then-24 year old restricted free agent <span>Harrison Barnes</span>. Barnes was at the time perhaps best known for seemingly torpedoing his own free agency in the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/5/31/15715474/warriors-vs-cavs-2016-nba-finals-scores-results">2016 NBA Finals</a> by bricking shot after wide open shot as the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Golden State Warriors</a> blew a 3-1 lead to the <a href="https://www.fearthesword.com/">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> (don’t feel too bad; it worked out pretty damn well for them in the end). After whiffing on most of the upper tier free agents, Dallas went all-in on Barnes and were hammered by most sports media pundits for it, including those on a certain Mavericks blog.</p>
<p id="ANp1Cy">After a dreadful preseason, Barnes came alive once the games started counting, establishing himself as the team’s go-to scorer almost right away. Unfortunately, the rest of the patchwork roster couldn’t stay healthy, and with so little support, the team quickly sunk into a hole.</p>
<p id="cmAveN">Sensing the season was starting to slip away, the Mavs then pulled off one of the shrewdest moves of the Cuban era, sending away underperforming veteran center <span>Andrew Bogut</span> (along with Justin Anderson, who had fallen out of the rotation after such a promising rookie season) and in the process stealing athletic but disgruntled big man <span>Nerlens Noel</span> from the <a href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">76ers</a>. Suddenly, Dallas had a second young player who was potentially worth building a future around. Noel tantalized, showing off rare athletic gifts for a player his size, making Dallas one of the better defensive units in the league down the stretch. While a late season surge came up short of playoff aspirations, there was reason for optimism again in Big D.</p>
<p id="Nil7uU">That brings us to today: Dallas, armed with the ninth pick in the 2017 draft, has taken another big step toward establishing a true post-Dirk core by selecting NC State Freshman point guard Dennis Smith, Jr. In truth, Dallas needed quite a bit of luck to land Smith, who in an average draft might have been a top-five pick, but that’s okay; sometimes you have to get a little lucky.</p>
<p id="Ktd5hD">As early as November, people were comparing this prospect class to the 2009 draft, which was also stocked with star-quality point guards. Well, in that draft, the future NBA champion Golden State Warriors saw FOUR point guards (if we’re counting <span>James Harden</span>, who plays point guard now, and <span>Tyreke Evans</span>, who played point guard then) selected prior to their time on the clock, when, hey, look at that, some guy named Wardell Stephen Curry fell right in their lap.</p>
<p id="AGrEPV">Now, just to be clear, lest I be vivisected by nitpickings: I am not saying Dennis Smith, Jr. is the next Steph Curry. It would be a pretty terrible comparison, frankly, based on playing style, not to mention that suggesting a draft pick yet to play a single minute of NBA action will be an MVP and likely future Hall of Famer is silly, to say the least.</p>
<p id="tif60Q">What I am saying, however, is that there are all sorts of ways great teams get built. Sometimes you need to take risks, even if it means enduring the slings and arrows of outrageous criticism, the way Dallas did with Barnes. Sometimes it means finding the right situation and pulling a rabbit out of your hat, the way Dallas did with Noel. And sometimes it means just plain getting lucky, the way I think Dallas just did with Smith.</p>
<h4 id="Up8r5r">Just who is Dennis Smith, Jr, anyway?</h4>
<p id="dpQeiP">As one of the top high school players in the country, Dennis Smith, Jr. has been on the prospect radar for years. A torn ACL kept him out of the limelight during his senior year, but in less than 14 months Smith was showing little effect from the injury. The Fayetteville, NC native enrolled in classes at nearby NC State early, and when the college season began, Smith was immediately the focal point of the Wolfpack offense.</p>
<p id="RKxc4g">It was an up and down season for Smith at NC State, featuring both highs (a comeback stunner over Duke in late January) and lows (losing 10 of their last 11 games), but to be fair it would be hard to describe the campaign as anything other than a disappointment. The team looked good early on in the non-conference portion of their schedule, but it became clear that NC State didn’t have the talent of the rest of the ACC, and in the end the pressure of holding up an inferior squad clearly got to Smith a bit. Coach Mark Gottfried was fired before the season even concluded.</p>
<p id="8hqRav">While the struggles of Markelle Fultz’s team at Washington seemed to leave Fultz largely unscathed, questions about Smith’s leadership and game management skills dinged his draft stock a bit, as did worries over how his size would translate to the NBA defensively. While it is true that Smith lacks elite body measurements for the position, especially in this day and age when big point guards reign supreme, the criticisms about Smith’s character seem a tad overblown. By most accounts, Smith is a fine kid who was simply put in a bad situation that only got worse as the season went on.</p>
<p id="1E3Zbl">Let there be no mistake: Smith is a major talent. When I said before that he’d perhaps be a top-five pick in a normal draft, I meant it. Smith has phenomenal athletic gifts, combining a quick first step, deceptive strength that helped him overpower college point guards with ease, and explosive leaping ability, the likes of which we’ve rarely seen in a player his size. He had some of the most thunderous, rim-shaking dunks I’ve seen in years at the college level, making it no small wonder that <span>Rick Carlisle</span> made the comparison to <span>Russell Westbrook</span> when describing his ability to attack the basket.</p>
<p id="mykhEa">Smith is hardly just a highlight reel, though. With so many outstanding point guards at the top of the draft, Smith’s ball-handling and passing skills have probably been grossly underrated. While he may not be the purest passer in the class, he is capable of making all the important basketball plays, especially out of the pick and roll, which NC State ran quite a bit and Rick Carlisle will as well.</p>
<p id="Hl2w8c">Despite the sports car engine he has under the hood, Smith displayed nice patience and the ability to wait for his spots in pick-and-roll play. He uses deception and an array of dribble moves to keep defenders off balance and can stop and start quickly when needed. While his smallish stature may hurt him on defense, it’s actually an advantage when in close quarters, as he is able to get low and keep the ball down, away from prying hands. Finishing may be a little tougher at the next level, where opponents are longer and more athletic, but Smith should be more than capable of getting to the rim, especially now that he’ll have NBA quality shooters to open the floor up.</p>
<p id="55NaPi">Speaking of shooting, Smith is probably better in this regard than you’d think by looking at his raw numbers. While he made just 36 percent from behind the college line, he took a high volume of them (this matters in terms of translating college numbers to the pros), and he actually converted 41 percent from behind the NBA three point line, per Synergy.</p>
<p id="eYB5O8">Smith ended up taking some questionable shots at NC State, with a lot of contested jumpers coming late in the shot clock, and that can’t all be blamed on his teammates and coaching. Smith’s shot selection will need improvement, and that’s something you can probably say for most rookie point guards. Still, he had a knack for making some tough jumpers, especially when he was able to get going and find an rhythm, and that would set up the drives and make him nearly unguardable.</p>
<p id="9zQjhG">We didn’t see it a whole lot, given the way NC State’s offense was set up, but there’s promise in Smith’s catch-and-shoot data that suggests he’ll be able to play off ball a little, as well. That’s important, because Rick Carlisle isn’t likely to put the rock in any one player’s hands all the time. Moving the ball and using a variety of screen action helps get everyone involved, and Smith will be asked to play team ball rather than call his own number every time down the floor. Time will tell how Smith responds to all this, but Carlisle is one of the game’s best coaches, and if Smith is meant to be great, that will only benefit him.</p>
<p id="11kJ4r">Defensively, as I’ve alluded to, Smith’s profile is less rosy, but there’s plenty to work with. Smith has quick feet and a strong base, meaning there’s no obvious reason he can’t be a quality defender, though perhaps not the kind versatile enough to guard multiple positions. Smith’s steal rate was better than any of the other top point guard prospects in this draft, which tells you that he has good instincts in anticipating passing lanes. At the very least, he’ll be able to be a playmaker on that end, if not a shutdown guy.</p>
<h4 id="HVgZ5R">What this means for Dallas fans</h4>
<p id="J4ueQR">It’s a really strange, new feeling to have the Mavs draft the guy I wanted most. Since I became an adult and started obsessively following college basketball and the draft, it hasn’t happened, and more often than not this time of year I’m trying to talk myself into getting hyped over a player I’m really not all that crazy about. Or there’s just no player.</p>
<p id="bKzCW0">In 2015, I liked Justin Anderson fine, but I wondered if he could be <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2015/6/26/8850453/justin-anderson-scouting-report">anything more than a decent role player</a>, and even then, how long would it take for him to be one? (The answer it would seem: too long.)</p>
<p id="gS2ND2">In 2013, I was really, <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2013/6/27/4472684/scouting-report-on-shane-larkin">really not that excited</a> about <span>Shane Larkin</span> being the next <span>J.J. Barea</span> or the fact that after starting the day with the 13th pick the team itself ended up un-ironically using J.J. Barea as a best case scenario for their draft pick.</p>
<p id="xlAt1Q">In 2012...well, I was newer to this, and after swallowing my initial personal anguish, I <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2012/6/28/3124970/a-few-quick-thoughts-on-cunningham-and-the-mavs-strategy">summoned the courage to try</a> and paint <span>Jared Cunningham</span> as a player with upside. Yeesh.</p>
<p id="2yhayD">This, however... this is different. I believe in this player, and while time has a way of making us all look like fools, I see plenty of reasons to think that Dennis Smith, Jr. can be a star in Dallas. He’s in the right system, as Dallas can play spread pick and roll with the best of them, using Dirk’s gravity and Noel’s finishing ability to carve opposing teams up. The Mavs haven’t had a dynamic pick-and-roll threat since <span>Monta Ellis</span>, who isn’t the shooter or the passer (and probably not even the athlete) Smith is, in my view. With Wes Matthews, <span>Seth Curry</span> and Harrison Barnes spotting up, it will be a “pick your poison” offense, much like the one we saw in the early part of 2014.</p>
<p id="laGNOA">For any questions one might have about Smith’s maturity, Dallas is as good a landing spot as any to address them, and this is probably a big factor in Cuban and Donnie’s reluctance to deal Wes. There’s logic in striking a balance between youthful talent and veteran experience, and Wes certainly provides the latter. Between Dirk, Matthews, and even Barnes (who appears mature beyond his years), the talented pool of athletic newcomers Dallas is assembling will have some great examples of the kind of hard work and accountability needed to succeed in the best basketball league in the world. When Smith isn’t hustling the way he should be on the practice court, you can rest assured Wesley “I went undrafted, and now I’m worth $70 million” Matthews will chew his rear out, because that’s just who <span>Wesley Matthews</span> is. </p>
<p id="q7puc1">The winning culture Dallas prides itself on extends beyond the players to the coaching staff and the trainers, who will be key in making sure Smith and Noel stay healthy (and by the way, the fact that the Mavs took Smith tells me they did their due diligence on Smith’s ACL and were satisfied). I don’t want to wax too poetic on that point, but it’s clearly a better situation to have than, say, the one Smith might have ended up in in Orlando, or (god forbid) New York.</p>
<p id="dfaKUc">Rick Carlisle has a reputation for being a bit picky with his point guards and having a short leash with rookies in general, but to be fair, can you name a young player even close to as talented as Smith during Carlisle’s tenure in Dallas? Trends have a way of reversing themselves, and there’s no better way to reverse the trend of Rick burying prospects than to give him a legitimate blue chipper.</p>
<h4 id="mDVlOb">So...now what?</h4>
<p id="EwHfJy">The Dallas Mavericks likely won’t be a contender next season. In fact, they might not even make the playoffs, although I’m sure Mark Cuban would like to give Dirk Nowitzki a sendoff befitting a first ballot Hall of Famer.</p>
<p id="KQamPS">But they’ll be young. And athletic. And probably a lot of fun. Most importantly, you don’t need to squint and borrow liberally from your own imagination to picture a core that will allow for a pretty nice transition past the Dirk Nowitzki era and into the future. That’s what this pick could represent, when put next to Barnes and Noel, and I don’t know if I would have said that if Dallas had ended up with the players taken a few picks after <em>or before</em> Smith. That’s what Dallas did today, I think (emphasis on think): they got it right.</p>
<p id="HrlFbF">And that’s something.</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2017/6/23/15860708/2017-nba-draft-dallas-mavericks-dennis-smith-jr-ushers-in-a-new-era-for-the-mavericksIan_Miller2017-06-23T00:10:15-05:002017-06-23T00:10:15-05:00Grading the Mavericks’ 2017 draft pick
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<img alt="NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5X3ePrUaAnU0NF_7qhBr6TK7wVs=/0x0:4184x2789/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55406589/usa_today_9811985.1498194337.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Dallas got their point guard in the NC State freshman Dennis Smith Jr.</p> <p id="M3ksrR">As we all know by now, the <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Dallas Mavericks</a> got their point guard of the future in Dennis Smith Jr. with the ninth overall pick in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft">NBA Draft</a> last night. The entire Mavs organization, including the players and the fan base, couldn’t have been more elated when they heard Smith Jr.’s name called. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">LET'S GOO !! It's Lit <a href="https://twitter.com/Dennis4Smith">@Dennis4Smith</a> welcome to the family !!</p>— Nerlens Noel (@NerlensNoel3) <a href="https://twitter.com/NerlensNoel3/status/878048789558251520">June 23, 2017</a>
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<p id="zjZpMM">During his only season with N.C. State, he was the <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/878049242643808256">first college freshman to average at least 15 points, 6 assists and 1.5 steals per game since John Wall</a> did it for Kentucky in 2009. For a guy that has those type of numbers and has drawn comparisons to <span>Russell Westbrook</span>, the Mavs are very optimistic about what Smith Jr. could become. Smith Jr. has an incredible 48” vertical and puts it to good use by playing angry like Russ does.</p>
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<p id="EBhcHJ">It had been reported in past few weeks that the <a href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a> were considering Smith Jr. for the sixth pick in the draft. Then, the day before the draft, a report surfaced that Boston was so impressed with him that they were <a href="https://twitter.com/RealGM/status/877660136952676353">considering trading down from the third pick to get him</a>. For a team that not only needed a starting point guard, but also an injection of raw athleticism, the Mavs got themselves a steal at No. 9. Dennis will be on a mission to show the other eight teams what they missed out on.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dennis Smith Jr. on four PGs being picked before him: "I just use it as fuel to the fire. I've been underrated... <a href="https://t.co/bmEiAvAIXE">https://t.co/bmEiAvAIXE</a></p>— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/878074711585849347">June 23, 2017</a>
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<h4 id="Bs0bSN">Draft Grade: A+</h4>
<h4 id="Tm3tUY">Value at No. 9: A+</h4>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2017/6/23/15856230/nba-draft-2017-grade-dallas-mavericks-ninth-pick-dennis-smith-jrDalton Trigg