Draft Profile: Dennis Smith Jr.

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By Taylor C. Snow | @taylorcsnow

NC State had gone 22 years without winning a game on Duke’s home court. That is,
until Dennis Smith Jr. came along on Jan. 23, 2017, and led the Wolfpack to a
massive upset at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The freshman point guard scored a
career-best 32 points while guiding NC State to an 84-82 win. The Blue Devils
had a chance to tie or win the game on the final possession, but Smith stole the
ball from fellow projected lottery pick Jayson Tatum and ran the full length of
the court to secure the win. The final buzzer sounded while Smith was racing
upcourt, but he slam-dunked the ball anyway to put an exclamation point on NC
State’s hard-fought, long-overdue win in Durham.

By Marc D’Amico | @Marc_DAmico

Possessions Scouted from 2016-17 Season: OFFENSE: 20.3 percent of possessions
DEFENSE: 20.1 percent of possessions

Dennis Smith Jr. is a downhill point guard who is a fantastic scorer around the
basket. He showcases strong instincts on drives, plays with a low center of
gravity as he turns the corner around screens, and has great lift around the
hoop. He has good shooting mechanics and I trust that he will become much more
accurate in the pros once coaches help him to clean up his shot selection. Smith
finishes at a high level with both hands in the paint and absorbs body contact
as well as any downhill player in this draft. Those are great talents to work
off of. However, he does not show great promise as a passer. Smith lacks great
vision; he doesn’t see many passes that quality passers would see. He also lacks
precision with his passes and is not a great decision maker. Those qualities
result in a turnover-prone point guard. Smith has post-up potential with his
strong build. He reminds me of a bigger Kyle Lowry. He struggles defensively
with effort and attention. Those are his biggest issues, combined with poor
routes while chasing screens, but all of those be resolved through teaching. His
reaction times can be poor, which is a red flag. He, at times, showcases good
feet and hands and instincts. He needs to play in a better defensive stance with
a lower center of gravity. He’s usually in the right place at the right time
when he does give effort and pays attention. Some of Smith’s best games came
against NC State’s best competition, and he’s not afraid of the moment. Overall,
he is a prospect that can immediately contribute with his ability to attack
defenses, but coaching will be imperative to his long-term success. He has a lot
of potential that remains to be fulfilled.

By Taylor C. Snow | @taylorcsnow

Dennis Cliff Smith Jr. was born Nov. 25, 1997 in Godwin, North Carolina to
Dennis Smith Sr. and Helena Posia Owens. He grew up in Fayetteville, North
Carolina, where he attended Trinity Christian School. During his sophomore
season, Smith averaged 17.6 points, 9.3 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 2.4 steals per
game, all while leading the Crusaders to a state title. The following season, he
averaged 21.8 PPG and earned North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year honors.
His most notable performance came during the 2014-15 High School OT holiday
invitational when he logged 38 points against an Orangeville Prep team that
featured future NBA players Jamal Murray and Thon Maker. Heading into his senior
year, Smith was the favorite to repeat as the state’s Gatorade Player of the
Year, but on Aug. 7 he tore his ACL while competing at adidas Nations. One month
after suffering the season-ending injury, Smith committed to NC State. He ended
up graduating from high school a semester early, and enrolled in classes at NC
State in January 2016. Smith fully recovered from his injury by the fall of 2016
and didn’t miss a game for the Wolfpack. As a freshman, he finished eighth in
the ACC in scoring (18.1 PPG), first in assists (6.2 APG) and second in steals
(1.9 SPG). His most notable performance came against No. 17 Duke on Jan. 23,
2017, when he logged a career-high 32 points to go along with six assists and
four rebounds during an 84-82 Wolfpack win. He snagged the game-winning steal
away from fellow projected lottery pick Jayson Tatum during the closing seconds,
which secured NC State’s first win at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1995. Smith
also logged two triple doubles – a 27-point, 11-rebound, 11-assist performance
during a 104-78 win over No. 21 Virginia Tech and a 13-point, 15-assist,
11-rebound effort during a 100-93 overtime loss to Syracuse. He became the only
player in ACC history to log multiple career triple-doubles against conference
foes. The Wolfpack lost in the opening round of their conference tournament to
Clemson and did not make the NCAA Tourney, but Smith walked away from his
freshman season with ACC Rookie of the Year honors. On March 28, 2017 Smith
declared for the NBA Draft.

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