Dennis Smith Jr. has the makings of the new face of the Dallas Mavericks

Without jumping the gun too much off of a Summer League sample size, Dennis Smith Jr. looks like more than a great pick for the Dallas Mavericks.

With so many talented point guards in the 2017 NBA Draft, one player was destined to fall down draft boards. When the New York Knicks were on the clock with the eighth pick, Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr. were still not drafted. Neither was Malik Monk, but the Knicks were in dire need of a point guard.

The Knicks’ selection meant one of those highly touted guards would fall to the Dallas Mavericks. Having sent their front office overseas to see Ntilikina, the Mavericks had already gotten comfortable with the potential of the French guard falling to No. 9. Instead, Smith did.

After Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball were off the board, he was arguably the best point guard available. Yet, the Sacramento Kings went with the charming De’Aaron Fox instead. In Dallas, especially with coach Rick Carlisle, Smith likely fell into the best situation possible. The front offices of the Knicks and Kings constantly make poor choices, while the Carlisle-Mark Cuban combo is a dream for players.

A bouncy point guard from N.C. State with Russell Westbrook hops, Smith needs an environment that will work him the right way. On the Mavericks, he’ll have not just a better coach, but more talented teammates than all of his fellow point guard draft picks.

Dallas was always the best landing spot to tap into his potential, as one of the best point guards and picks in the 2017 NBA Draft. Smith’s showing in Las Vegas Summer League shows a player better than the one we saw in college. He resembles a player that could be the new face of the franchise.

A Summer League disclaimer

Plays like this and statistics from Summer League shouldn’t be used to make assumptions about players. What Summer League is good for, mostly for the rookies, is seeing what they do well now and what they do not.

Even then, dominating Summer League does not mean a player is destined to tear up the NBA to the same degree. Summer League is just a benchmark assessment, but it’s useful to see if our view of players from when they left college is still the same.

It’s important to see if a player looks to have the same weaknesses as before or whether they look better in certain areas. It’s safe to say Smith looks better and answered some of the question marks raised about him at NC State.

Summer League Smith

Dennis Smith Jr. has been on a tear in Summer League and he’s shown some very encouraging signs about his game. What stands out is tough shot-making, finishing ability and burst. He blows by his man in the above video and then has the strength to hang midair and finish acrobatically around Josh Jackson, no less. Jackson projects to be an elite weak-side rim protector and Smith made it seem like he wasn’t even there.

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Before getting to more of his moves, let’s get his numbers out of the way. Despite shooting 5-for-12 in his debut, Smith Jr. scored 14 points and added six assists and seven rebounds. Most importantly, he only had one turnover. Keeping those turnovers low is a big key for him. In his second game against the Phoenix Suns, he poured in 25 points, four assists, eight rebounds and four steals. He did have five turnovers, but that’s common for a rookie.

In his third game against Miami, he found a way to score 16 points despite another poor shooting night. Shot selection was an apparent issue, but he lived at the free throw line because defenses just couldn’t contain him.

His three turnovers were a lot better than the five he gave up in his second game. Already Smith Jr. shows the ability to facilitate, score and finish creatively through contact, one of the most important skills for a guard.

The good and the bad

It’s going to be nearly impossible to keep him away from the rim with NBA-quality spacing. This was more of a key detail than many thought of pre-draft. Give him NBA spacing and watch him take over games. Smith appears to be able to get anywhere on the court he so pleases.

So, if he can shoot at least around NBA-average from three, he’s going to be a handful as a rookie. That’s a large proponent behind his momentum as a dark horse for Rookie of the Year. The biggest thing for him will be decision making, but that should come with age and playing time.

He still takes too many deep two-pointers, but Carlisle should help in getting those out of his system. Going from one turnover to five to three across three games pretty much epitomizes where Smith is at.

Still, he already looks to have all the makings of a dynamic scoring point guard. He’ll never carry a defense, but he seems more active and focused on that end. That’s what he’ll need to do.

Looking Forward

Dirk Nowitzki just signed a two-year deal to stay in Dallas, but the new face of the franchise may have finally arrived. Dennis Smith Jr. still has a lot to prove, but this is looking like more than just a steal for the Mavericks.

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He’ll feel slept on, and with a chiseled physique, he goes to war with every drive on the court. If his athleticism and confidence continue to increase — remember,  he did tear his ACL — look out. Dirk’s heir may have fallen to them at No. 9, as a player they can build around going forward.