Dallas Mavericks: 5 takeaways from 2017 NBA Summer League

1. Dennis Smith Jr. was a steal in the 2017 NBA Draft

When the ninth pick came up in this year’s NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks could have gone any direction. They’re a young team, after all, with center Dirk Nowitzki coming to the end of his career. However, instead of drafting a big man, the Mavericks took one of the most explosive guards in the draft with Dennis Smith Jr.

Smith Jr. looks ready for the NBA already. He led the Mavericks’ Summer League squad in scoring at 17.3 points per game. Despite being 6’1″ himself, he managed to snag 4.8 rebounds while also dishing out 4.2 assists per game. It’s worth noting, as a freshman at NC State, Smith Jr. became the only player in ACC history to record two triple-doubles against conference opponents.

He’s a proven leader on the floor and Vegas showed that the Dallas Mavericks could be his team once Nowitzki decides to call it quits. Nowitzki agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal this past July.

Now, Smith’s statistics are a small sample size but he was recognized for his play with an appearance on the All-Summer League First Team alongside rookies Lonzo Ball, John Collins, Josh Jackson and Caleb Swanigan.

Smith Jr. has crazy athleticism for a guard his size, but also shoots at an efficient rate. He shot 45.7 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from three in Vegas.

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Going forward, it will be interesting how Smith Jr. pairs with guards like Yogi Ferrell Seth Curry and forwards like Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews. The Mavericks ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring defense last season (100.8 points per game allowed). Smith Jr. should keep them at that level or higher, while also giving them a go-to guy on the offensive end.