Here’s why the Dallas Mavericks’ selection of Dennis Smith out of NC State in the 2017 NBA Draft was a great one.
The Dallas Mavericks found themselves picking inside the lottery for the first time in the Mark Cuban era, as they had a down year in 2016-17, finishing with a record of 33-49. It was unfamiliar territory for Rick Carlisle and general manager Donnie Nelson, so it was very hard to predict what kind of direction the Mavericks would go in.
The Mavericks were reportedly offered D’Angelo Russell for the ninth pick by the Los Angeles Lakers, but they rejected the approach, and Russell was subsequently moved to the Brooklyn Nets. This showed that Dallas valued its pick and had a specific player in mind coming into the draft.
With the ninth overall selection, the Mavericks selected point guard Dennis Smith Jr. out of NC State in what was somewhat of a surprise, as most expected him to be taken by the Knicks after he had multiple meetings with Phil Jackson, and he even told reporters he would be a great fit in the triangle offense.
The Mavericks have not had a good point guard since Jose Calderon was a relevant NBA player, so it is a very exciting pick for Mavericks fans as they were just a point guard away from being a playoff team once again.
To put it short, this was an excellent selection by the Mavericks, and he is a great fit in their team. Here are the five biggest reasons that he was a terrific selection by Dallas and a look at how he fits with them moving forward.