Dallas Mavericks: 5 reasons Dennis Smith Jr. was a great pick

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Jun 22, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Dennis Smith, Jr. (NC State) is introduced by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as the number nine overall pick to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

5. He’s an actual point guard!

This may seem too basic for some people, but the Dallas Mavericks simply needed a point guard, as their offense was slow and archaic at times last year. They were reliant on Dirk Nowitzki continuing to create from that elbow, but he cannot handle that workload anymore the team and needed a breath of fresh air.

The Mavs’ backcourt was made up of cast-offs such as Devin Harris and Yogi Ferrell, and while they both played quite well, they did not help the team win games in the way that Smith will be able to. He is dynamic and has inside-out ability, which makes him a really fun fit in Rick Carlisle’s spread pick-and-roll offense.

Smith may not be a day one starter purely because of Carlisle’s policy toward rookies, but he will likely win the job quickly since the current Mavericks point guards are not very enticing options.

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