Hoops Habit
Fansided

Sacramento Kings: 5 options for pick No. 5 in 2017 NBA Draft

By Jordan Treske

Dec 7, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari talks with guard De'Aaron Fox (0) and guard Malik Monk (5) during the game against the Valparaiso Crusaders in the second half at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Valparaiso 87-63. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari talks with guard De'Aaron Fox (0) and guard Malik Monk (5) during the game against the Valparaiso Crusaders in the second half at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Valparaiso 87-63. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next
Feb 25, 2017; Raleigh, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) drives to the basket as Virginia Cavaliers guard Devon Hall (0) defends during the first half at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2017; Raleigh, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) drives to the basket as Virginia Cavaliers guard Devon Hall (0) defends during the first half at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Dennis Smith Jr., PG, North Carolina State

College stats:  32 GP, 18.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.9 SPG, .4 BPG, 3.4 TOV, 45.5 FG%, 35.9 3P%, 71.5 FT%

The point guards in this draft class, or more specifically, the ones that have been projected to go in the top-10, stand out in very distinct ways. In the case of Dennis Smith Jr., there may not be a point guard, much less another player in this draft class, that can match what he has to offer in regard to his athleticism and explosiveness.

While his lone year at North Carolina State was a disaster on multiple fronts, Smith nonetheless showcased the qualities of being a commanding, high flying, score-first point guard that makes him an incredibly tantalizing prospect in this year’s draft.

With that being said, Smith still has to make considerable strides in becoming a more complete, traditional point guard, though his supporting cast didn’t exactly work in his favor in that regard.

For how much of an offensive force Smith projects to be, his capabilities on the defensive end are not as rosy, to put it nicely.

More from NBA Draft

Smith’s energy and effort level defensively has been under scrutiny well after the completion of his season and with average measurements in terms of his wingspan, Smith has to up his intensity to show teams he can hold his own on that end of the floor at the very least.

Of course, there could be other factors in play for why that was, considering Smith was over a year removed from tearing his ACL and again, the cumulative effect of what was an absolutely dreadful season for the Wolfpack.

All of this makes for an interesting dilemma for the Kings. Smith certainly checks many of the boxes they’re looking for in a point guard, but the concerns he carries may be too much for a Kings team that is refreshing its approach in terms of team building.

Smith is undoubtedly a talent worthy of being selected fifth overall (or even higher, frankly), but it’s fair to wonder if he is truly the type of player the Kings have their eye on.

Home/NBA Draft