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

Weaknesses

Playing without the ball in his hands was the biggest weakness for Dennis Smith Jr. It’s something he may need to get used to with a Rick Carlisle-coached team. Last season, the Mavericks carried three point guards behind Smith. He built great chemistry over the summer with Yogi Ferrell, but it wasn’t the same for veterans J.J. Barea and Devin Harris.

In the 2-man starting lineups featuring Smith and Barea exclusively, the Dallas Mavericks turned in a record of 19-34 with an average net rating of -10.5. When Smith and Harris were solely in the lineup, Dallas had a 13-21 record. Given those outcomes, it’s a good thing Devin Harris is an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Playing off-the-ball was a tough time for Smith, who is also a ball-dominant guard. Again, getting a big man in the NBA Draft can change all of this, but learning to play without the ball is something DSJ has to learn. When teams force him to pass, he has the athleticism to get to the rim in other ways, so that shouldn’t be too difficult for him.

Without a solid big man, Smith had to improvise and it ultimately led to him running out of gas by season’s end. He’ll need to learn to control the pace of the game going forward and some of that comes with getting more experience under his belt playing with others.