Dennis Smith Jr.

Dennis Smith Jr.
No. 1 – Dallas Mavericks
Position Point guard
League NBA
Personal information
Born (1997-11-25) November 25, 1997
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight 195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school Trinity Christian School
(Fayetteville, North Carolina)
College NC State (2016–2017)
NBA draft 2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall
Selected by the Dallas Mavericks
Playing career 2017–present
Career history
2017–present Dallas Mavericks
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Dennis Smith Jr. (born November 25, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was ranked among the top point guards in the class of 2016 by most basketball recruiting services. He attended NC State University for one season of college basketball and earned second-team all-conference honors in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) as a freshman as well as ACC Freshman of the Year. After the season, Smith decided to forgo his remaining college eligibility and declared for the 2017 NBA draft. He was selected 9th overall by the Mavericks.

High school career

Smith attended Trinity Christian School in Fayetteville, North Carolina all four years of his high school basketball career. During his freshman year at Trinity Christian in 2013, Smith came off the bench on the varsity basketball team, where he averaged 9.2 points, 3.0 assist per game. As a sophomore, Smith and Trinity Christian defeated Greenfield by one point to win the 2014 NCISAA 1-A State Championship, while Smith scored 21 points and was named MVP. During the season, Smith averaged, 17.6 points per game and 9.3 assists, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game. After the conclusion of his sophomore season, Smith participated in the NBPA Top 100 Camp on June 19, 2014, at John Paul Jones Arena in Virginia. Smith also competed in the 2014 Adidas Nations. Prior to the start of Smith's junior year, he began to blossom as a player and outshine the competition during the 2014 summer while playing AAU basketball. the 6-foot-3 junior entered the year more focused than ever to claim his spot as one of the best point guards and player's in the Class of 2016.

In his junior year, Smith and Trinity Christian played in the 2014–2015 High School OT Holiday Invitational Tournament at Needham B. Broughton High School in Raleigh. On December 26, 2014, Smith scored 23 points to help Trinity defeat Ravenscroft School (83–60). On December 29, 2014, Smith and Trinity Christian went head to head with an Orangeville Prep that featured future NBA players Jamal Murray and Thon Maker. Smith scored 38 points in a losing effort as Trinity Christian lost (79–75) in the semi-finals. On February 2, 2015, Smith scored 17 points to defeat Cape Fear Christian Academy in the NCISAA 1-A quarterfinals. On February 11, 2015, in the last game of the season, Smith scored 33 points in a (90–58) loss to Word of God Christian Academy in the NCISAA 1-A Semi-Finals. On the season, Smith averaged 22.2 points per game, 7.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds per game, and 3 steals, while leading the crusaders to a (23–10) overall record. In 2015, he was named the Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year for North Carolina.[1]

Prior to his senior year, Smith tore his ACL, causing him to miss the entire season.[2] Smith received surgery weeks later after the injury. Before the injury, in the summer of 2015, Smith competed on the Adidas Uprising Circuit for the AAU team, Team Loaded North Carolina (NC), alongside Bam Adebayo. He led his team to victory in the 2015 Adidas Uprising Gauntlet 17u championship in Indianapolis. Smith averaged 16.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in 11 games on the circuit.[3] Weeks later, Smith and his team played in the ESPNU summer showcase against Indiana Elite. He led Team Loaded to victory.[4] Smith also appeared in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) Circuit for AAU Team Penny, sponsored by former NBA superstar Penny Hardaway. He played nine games for Team Penny while averaging 12.0 points and 2.9 assists.

Smith was rated as five-star recruit and was considered one of the top players and point guards in the 2016 high school class. He was ranked No. 7 overall recruit by 247sports, while Scout.com ranked him No. 10 in the Class of 2016.[5][6] On September 10, 2015, Smith committed to NC State University, picking NC State over Duke, Wake Forest, UNC and Kentucky to play college basketball.[7][8]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Dennis Smith Jr
PG		 Fayetteville, NC Trinity Christian School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Oct 9, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 96
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 10   247Sports: 7
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

    College career

    In December 2015, Smith graduated early from Trinity Christian School and in January 2016, enrolled at North Carolina State University. He decided to take the opportunity to get an early start on his freshman year by attending classes and rehabbing from his injury with the NC State medical staff. Smith began his freshman season playing in two exhibition games against Lynn University and Barton College.[9][10] In his debut for the Wolfpack, Smith played 36 minutes and dished out five assists in a 81–79 victory against Georgia Southern.[11] On November 21, 2016, Smith recorded a career-high 24 points to go along with 8 assists, defeating Saint Joseph's University 73–63 in the Paradise Jam Tournament. On November 26, 2016, he scored a season-high 30 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and tallied 7 assists to help NC State defeat Loyola University Chicago. On December 15, 2016, Smith recorded 22 points and 6 assists, leading NC State in a win over Appalachian State. On December 19, 2016, Smith earned ACC Freshman of the Week honors.

    On January 4, 2017, Smith recorded a triple-double – 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists – in a win against the Virginia Tech Hokies, making him and Julius Hodge the only two NC State players to achieve this feat. On January 23, 2017, Smith scored another career high 32 points and had 6 assists in a 84–82 victory against the Duke Blue Devils, leading NC State to its first win at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1995.[12] Smith recorded his second triple-double – 13 points, 15 assists, and 11 rebounds – of the season on February 1 in a losing effort to Syracuse. He is the only player in ACC history to record two triple-doubles against league opponents in an entire collegiate career.[13] On February 21, 2017, Smith scored 18 points in a 71–69 win against the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets. On March 5, 2017, Smith earned ACC Rookie of the Year honors. In 32 games for NC State in 2016–17, he averaged 18.1 points, 6.2 assist, and 1.9 steals per game. At the conclusion of his freshman season, Smith announced his intention to forgo his final three years of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2017 NBA draft.

    Professional career

    Dallas Mavericks (2017–present)

    Rookie season (2017–18)

    On June 22, 2017, Smith was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks.[14] On July 5, 2017 he signed his rookie contract.[15] While Smith would be out of action during the 2017 NBA Summer League in Orlando, he would return to action just in time for the event in Las Vegas. Under the six games he played with the Mavericks out in Las Vegas, Smith recorded 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game in under 25.9 minutes of action, which earned him All-Summer League first team honors.[16]

    Smith made his debut in the Mavericks' season opener on October 18, 2017, in a 117–111 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, where he scored 16 points and made 10 assists.[17] On December 29, 2017, he recorded his first career triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 128–120 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. He was 5 of 7 from 3-point range and 8 of 12 overall. At 20 years, 34 days, Smith became the third-youngest player in NBA history to have a triple-double, behind Lonzo Ball and LeBron James.[18] On May 22, 2018, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.[19]

    Career statistics

    Legend
      GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
     FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
     RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
     BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

    NBA

    Regular season

    Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
    2017–18 Dallas 696929.7.395.313.6943.85.21.0.315.2
    Career 696929.7.395.313.6943.85.21.0.315.2

    College

    Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
    2016–17 NC State 323234.8.455.359.7154.66.21.9.418.1

    References

    1. ↑ Trinity Christian's Dennis Smith Jr. named N.C. Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year
    2. ↑ Dennis Smith Jr. is '110 percent' healthy, ready to lead NC State to a big season
    3. ↑ Strelow, Bret (July 10, 2015). "Dennis Smith, Team Loaded conclude play at Adidas Uprising Gauntlet Finale". Www.fayobserver.com. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
    4. ↑ Strelow, Bret (July 27, 2015). "Dennis Smith Jr, Team Loaded bounce back from semifinals lost, end Adidas Uprising event in strong fashion". Www.fayobserver.com. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
    5. ↑ http://www.scout.com/player/177477-dennis-smith
    6. ↑ https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/493
    7. ↑ Dennis Smith Jr., No. 1 point guard in ESPN 100 for 2016, picks NC State
    8. ↑ Dennis Smith Jr. ready to enroll early at NC State
    9. ↑ Giglo, Joe (November 7, 2016). "Defense lifts NC State to 112–60 rout of Barton". Retrieved January 26, 2017 – via Www.newsobserver.com.
    10. ↑ Giglo, Joe (November 3, 2016). "Smith leads NC State to preseason rout of lynn". Retrieved January 26, 2017 – via Www.newsobserver.com.
    11. ↑ Decock, Luke (November 11, 2016). "Just the beginning for NC State, Smith in Rocky debut – decock". Retrieved January 26, 2017 – via Www.newsobserver.com.
    12. ↑ Decock, Luke (January 23, 2017). "Dennis Smith Jr and NC State upset Jayson Tatum and Duke". WWW.newsobserver.com. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
    13. ↑ "Dennis Smith sets ACC triple-double record – but NC State still loses: Things to know." CBSSports.com. N.p., February 2, 2017. Web. February 16, 2017.
    14. ↑ "Mavericks select Dennis Smith Jr. with ninth overall pick in 2017 NBA Draft". mavs.com. June 22, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
    15. ↑ "Mavs sign first-round pick Dennis Smith Jr". mavs.com. July 5, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
    16. ↑ "2017 All-NBA Summer League teams: Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball earns MVP honors". cbssports.com. July 18, 2017. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
    17. ↑ "Hawks, Schroder spoil Smith's debut, top Mavericks 117–111". ESPN.com. October 18, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
    18. ↑ "Dennis Smith Jr. has triple-double, Mavs beat Pelicans". ESPN.com. December 29, 2017. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
    19. ↑ "Donovan Mitchell, Ben Simmons lead 2017–18 NBA All-Rookie first team". NBA.com. May 22, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
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