Dallas Mavericks: 2017-18 player grades for Dennis Smith Jr.

The Dallas Mavericks didn’t have the greatest 2017-18 season, but Dennis Smith Jr. certainly gave them something to smile about.

The Dallas Mavericks missed postseason play for the second straight year, but they’re onto something with point guard Dennis Smith Jr.. The Mavericks got a solid rookie campaign out of Smith, as he averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.

He finished the season shooting 31.3 percent from 3-point range as well. He missed some games throughout the season due to an ankle injury, but still managed to start in all 69 appearances he made in 2017-18.

The rookie entered with much hype following a strong Summer League performance in Las Vegas back in July. It was enough to earn him the nod as the early favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award, but Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell took all that steam.

Still, Smith finished fifth among rookies in points per game, third in assists per game and was one of four rookies to finish the regular season with a triple-double.

He brought a lot of the pedigree that allowed him to average 18.1 points, 6.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game as a freshman at NC State. Smith showed off his athleticism as well as his ability to become a volume shooter down the stretch. Here’s a look at player grades for Dennis Smith Jr. in 2017-18.