Thunder NBA Draft prospect series: Dennis Smith Jr.

Mar 7, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) drives against Clemson Tigers guard Marcquise Reed (2) during the second half of an ACC Conference Tournament game at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Dennis Smith Jr. represents yet another top ranked point guard among the upper echelon. And, much like the other top guards Sam Presti is unlikely to make a move to trade up to acquire the guard.

Dennis Smith may well be the second best all around point guard in this year’s loaded draft. He has similarities to the consensus top two (Fultz and Ball) and specific differences.

Like Markelle Fultz his NC State didn’t make the NCAA tournament nor were they talent laden. Although he showed off his diverse assets, unlike Fultz he didn’t dominate, Then again, he played in the much more difficult ACC conference. While Ball improved his UCLA squad, Smith may well be the diamond it the point guard crop given his overall talents.

His game is perhaps best suited to the NBA in terms of what teams look for from the point position. Pundits vary on their ranking of Smith, but his upside and natural affinity to being a true point guard should find him being selected fairly high.

Specifics:

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 195 Ibs

Wingspan: 6’3″

Position: Point Guard

Age: 19 years, 5 months

Statline: 18.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.9 steal, 0.4 blocks

College: North Carolina State (freshman)

Home Town: Godwin, North Carolina , USA

Current rankings:

(note – rankings are taken on day of article posting and therefore may be listed at a similar rank as previously posted prospect reviews)

DraftExpress: 7th overall prospect

NBA DraftNet: 6th

Scott Howard-Cooper nba.com: 6th

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor: 6th

CBS Sports: 9th

Basketball Insiders: 7th

Sean Deveney of Sporting News: 6th

Hoops Hype: 7th

Jeremy Woo SI.com, The Crossover: 6th

Skills:

Smith’s all around game stand out. He’s not the super tall point guard like Lonzo Ball, but his 6’3″ frame is strong and looks NBA ready. Further, the speed at which the guard can play is blinding. His ability to control pace is well ahead of what you would expect for his 19.5 years.

While the pundits have praised the ‘shooters’ in the class and their versatility, Dennis Smith may well be the most diverse driving guard. With his quick first step he’s able to adeptly intermix floaters, lay-ups drives or kick it out to a open shooter. Again, a top asset NBA squads will be looking for.

As per Draft Express:

"In the half-court, Smith shows promise with his first step, array of fancy ball-handling maneuvers, and an innate ability to operate at different speeds. He wasn’t in an ideal situation at N.C. State, being surrounded by three non-shooters almost at all times, in traditional two-big men lineups that clogged the paint and made his team easy to game-plan against. – Source: ©DraftExpress"

Weaknesses:

Turnovers were a problem for Smith, but given the lack of talent surrounding him this is likely an area he can improve once surrounded by greater talent. Although Dennis Smith wasn’t lighting it up from the perimeter he steadily improved and shows the work ethic to be able to add efficiency and consistency in this area of his game.

Unlike Fultz and Ball the area of Smith’s game he needs to improve is decision making. But, with his skill set once the game becomes more natural and slows down for him his offensive assets make him a guard with huge upside.

Honors and awards:

ACC Rookie of the Year – 2017
Second Team All -ACC – 2017
ACC All-Freshman Team – 2017
North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year – 2015 (annual award for top high school student athletes in United States).

Pro Comparison:

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer provided a ceiling comparison for each of his prospects. O’Connor’s list for Dennis Smith Jr. is Steve Francis, Stephon Marbury and Jeff Teague.

This diverse range O’Connor offers makes sense if you pick one element from each of the players he lists. Dennis Smith has the athleticism of Francis, the offensive diversity of Marbury ad the blinding speed of Teague. I see his game aligning more along the lines of a Kyle Lowry if he is able to get his perimeter shot falling and lower his turnovers.

The fit:

Like all the lottery picks it doesn’t seem to make much sense for Sam Presti to trade up for a pick sure to go in the top ten. Given his upside I’d be thrilled to see a player of this caliber added to the Thunder. Especially considering his under valued play making ability. That said, it’s not reasonable to give up assets to fill a back up role on a team with a consensus top 3 point guard.

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