With the #9 pick in the 2017 draft, the Mavs choose Dennis Smith Jr.

[AO41]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Dennis Smith Jr. will be the Best Player in the 2017 NBA Draft

https://sports.vice.com/en_us/articl...2017-nba-draft

Just looked at this article after posting the above post and he mentions Westbrook as well

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Couple of NC State guys do a podcast talking about Smith getting Drafted. They mention the stuff being thrown out there about Smith pouting or not being a good teammate and have no clue where it comes from. I also haven't seen much evidence of that or where it came from.

https://www.backingthepack.com/btp-p...rafted-edition

[sike]

This is almost too exciting to be real.

Let me know when other shoe drops...for now, I'm on cloud 9!

This has been mentioned already, but having a PG that will demand the defense's attention as far as being ready to collapse as DSJ attacks should make life so much easier for Wes, Barnes, and Curry. Basically any shooter.

[Underdog]

@bobbykaralla: Since the 2012-13 season, when Mavs initiators have scored 20+ points, Dallas is 88-52.
@bobbykaralla: Initiators = guys who run offense. That group is Collison, Fisher, Harris, Ellis, Barea, Rondo, Williams, Felton, Gibson, Ferrell.
@bobbykaralla: Mavs are 20 over .500 in that time, but 36 over when their main ball-handler(s) score 20. Dennis Smith Jr. is a scorer. That could be good.

[tap2390]

A league source told Bleacher Report that Smith, who was drafted No. 9 by the Dallas Mavericks, would likely be a Knick if Jackson had been let go prior to the draft.

What a difference a week makes...

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by tap2390

What a difference a week makes...

Put Phil Jackson's jersey up in the AAC rafters! Seriously, though -- I think Donnie and Cubes played up Frank BIG TIME before the draft to get Phil to bite... He trusted in our overseas scouting so much that he thought he was pulling a fast one over on us.

DSJ would have been so perfect for the triangle that I thought for sure the Knicks were going to take him... Thank the Basketball Gods that he fell into our laps.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Put Phil Jackson's jersey up in the AAC rafters! Seriously, though -- I think Donnie and Cubes played up Frank BIG TIME before the draft to get Phil to bite... He trusted in our overseas scouting so much that he thought he was pulling a fast one over on us.

DSJ would have been so perfect for the triangle that I thought for sure the Knicks were going to take him... Thank the Basketball Gods that he fell into our laps.

Hey, that's what I said and people thought I was crazy for suggesting it.

Mavs played them big time. It's obvious. They out smarted Mr. (falls asleep watching draft prospects) Zen Master.

[tap2390]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

Hey, that's what I said and people thought I was crazy for suggesting it.

Mavs played them big time. It's obvious. They out smarted Mr. (falls asleep watching draft prospects) Zen Master.

I mean... that's about as zen as it gets.


I think you and UD are correct. It was all a smokescreen/ contingency if we ended up drafting him anyways because the Knicks took DSJ. Hiring his coach as our summer league coach was a stroke of genius and would've worked out either way.

I will add that had the Knicks taken DSJ I would've taken Monk not Frank.

[saclare]

Easy fellas. While I am also excited for DSJ and believe he is the better player and fit, let's not pretend Frank won't be (or has the chance to be) very good. I do agree though, that the Mavs FO may have been up to something of a smokescreen so as to play him up. I also can believe that they really liked him until they went to DSJ's open workout and that bumped him ahead. Perhaps it was the hiring of Frank's coach that was the cherry on top after DSJ workout? Who knows. I've also heard we were prepared to trade down if DSJ went to the Knicks. Plenty of what ifs and rumors still abound.

[SMC0007]

Or Phil knew the end was near and decided to long D the organization for a few years with a more lengthy rebuild.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by saclare

Easy fellas. While I am also excited for DSJ and believe he is the better player and fit, let's not pretend Frank won't be (or has the chance to be) very good. I do agree though, that the Mavs FO may have been up to something of a smokescreen so as to play him up. I also can believe that they really liked him until they went to DSJ's open workout and that bumped him ahead. Perhaps it was the hiring of Frank's coach that was the cherry on top after DSJ workout? Who knows. I've also heard we were prepared to trade down if DSJ went to the Knicks. Plenty of what ifs and rumors still abound.

Frank could be a good player. He and DSJ are polar opposites in pretty much every way imaginable at the guard position.

The problem, as has been discussed a zillion times, is that you have no idea what kind of player Frank will be. If he is a lock down defender that can nail a three, then that is very valuable. It just isn't 8-9th pick valuable. Smith and Monk have much more star potential. That's what you have to get picking in the top 10 in this draft.

[saclare]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

Frank could be a good player. He and DSJ are polar opposites in pretty much every way imaginable at the guard position.

The problem, as has been discussed a zillion times, is that you have no idea what kind of player Frank will be. If he is a lock down defender that can nail a three, then that is very valuable. It just isn't 8-9th pick valuable. Smith and Monk have much more star potential. That's what you have to get picking in the top 10 in this draft.

Right, I get the potential. DSJ is just more likely to have an earlier return. But we also have no idea what kind of player he will be in the NBA. We can sure hope and analyze, but neither player has played a game yet. I think Frank was deserving of his projections, just as much as DSJ. I just don't want to turn into the average NYK fan and trash any other plausible pick we may have made.

Edit: I'm very much glad we got DSJ. I wanted him over Frank. I'm just trying to be the devil's advocate here and keep it in perspective.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by saclare

Right, I get the potential. DSJ is just more likely to have an earlier return. But we also have no idea what kind of player he will be in the NBA. We can sure hope and analyze, but neither player has played a game yet. I think Frank was deserving of his projections, just as much as DSJ. I just don't want to turn into the average NYK fan and trash any other plausible pick we may have made.

Edit: I'm very much glad we got DSJ. I wanted him over Frank. I'm just trying to be the devil's advocate here and keep it in perspective.

Who is trashing Frank? I think pretty much everyone around here has given a fair analysis of him unlike Knicks fans are doing to DSJ. They already call him Ennis and are waiting for him to tear his knee again.

Of course it's all an odds and unknowns game. But the big issue with Frank is that too many are blinded by what Giannis is doing and thinking Frank will be the same kind of player. Giannis was a ball handling athletic phenom the likes of which we've never seen from a player of his size. Frank is a decent athlete and ball handler who has an amazing wingspan. It just isn't the same kind of potential IMO.

I actually think passing on Monk or Collins could be a bigger regret in the long run. But hey, the Mavs had to pick someone. DSJ was as sure a pick as you'd get a 9.

[Bryan_Wilson]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

I actually think passing on Monk or Collins could be a bigger regret in the long run. But hey, the Mavs had to pick someone. DSJ was as sure a pick as you'd get a 9.

https://mtc.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/4B8...0Y2FqsbHHegmYR

Woodslanger > whatever that is.

[saclare]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

Who is trashing Frank? I think pretty much everyone around here has given a fair analysis of him unlike Knicks fans are doing to DSJ. They already call him Ennis and are waiting for him to tear his knee again.

Of course it's all an odds and unknowns game. But the big issue with Frank is that too many are blinded by what Giannis is doing and thinking Frank will be the same kind of player. Giannis was a ball handling athletic phenom the likes of which we've never seen from a player of his size. Frank is a decent athlete and ball handler who has an amazing wingspan. It just isn't the same kind of potential IMO.

I actually think passing on Monk or Collins could be a bigger regret in the long run. But hey, the Mavs had to pick someone. DSJ was as sure a pick as you'd get a 9.

Trashing isn't the right word. Well, right for NYK fans, but not on here.

[sefant77]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

Mavs played them big time. It's obvious. They out smarted Mr. (falls asleep watching draft prospects) Zen Master.

Na, i think the reason for the coaching job was that they really thought that Smith would go #6 to #8 and that Frank would be the BPA at 9 because he was also on their A-list (like Dirk said).

I like the pics for both teams. Smith is the better fit here, Frank could be the better fit the "euroball" Knicks around Porz and Hernangomez. Also the Knicks are now at the beginning of their rebuild, we are allready too good to tank after striking gold on Barnes/Noel/Curry.

Knicks can tank two years around Porz/Frank/Hernangomez. Two good lottery picks and a lot of capspace in 2019 and 2020. Dumping Carmellas loser-ass, Porz can grow as franchise player and Frank learns two years...Knicks should be back solid in 2019 or 2020 if they dont fuck it up

[Bryan_Wilson]

https://www.mavs.com/videos/the-film...=FILM_ROOM_DSJ

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

Hey, that's what I said and people thought I was crazy for suggesting it.

Mavs played them big time. It's obvious. They out smarted Mr. (falls asleep watching draft prospects) Zen Master.

Definitely a smokescreen: Frank's coach is no longer coaching with our Summer League team.

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Definitely a smokescreen: Frank's coach is no longer coaching with our Summer League team.

Source? Only thing I can find is that He withdrew.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by SMC0007

Source? Only thing I can find is that He withdrew.

Just my own theory... Isaac Harris mentioned on his podcast that Frank's coach withdrew, so I figure that definitely had to be part of a smokescreen, but obviously nobody from the organization is going to admit such a thing. Just doing the math here -- it all adds up.

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Just my own theory... Isaac Harris mentioned on his podcast that Frank's coach withdrew, so I figure that definitely had to be part of a smokescreen, but obviously nobody from the organization is going to admit such a thing. Just doing the math here -- it all adds up.

Oh, I was wondering if there was any reason out yet on why he withdrew.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by SMC0007

Oh, I was wondering if there was any reason out yet on why he withdrew.

I'm guessing it's because his guy isn't on our roster... But nothing official has been released (and probably won't because nobody really cares except for us hardcore fans).

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Well of course you aren't going to see a source that says, "Mavs hired coach as smokescreen to get DSJ" for pretty obvious reasons.

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by Underdog

I'm guessing it's because his guy isn't on our roster... But nothing official has been released (and probably won't because nobody really cares except for us hardcore fans).

Right. I guess I'm just still slightly skeptical about an entire organization (Knicks) being hornswoggled by the moves we made in the draft.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

I think hornswoggle (great word) is too strong of an inference. The Knicks obviously liked Frank, and it is within reason that the Mavs sent out signals to make sure the Knicks liked him enough to take him at 8.

And I thought I read that the hiring of Frank's coach for the summer league didn't have to do with the Mavs interest in him. So something doesn't add up at the very least.

[Underdog]

@NickVanExit: "Do you think the Knicks would have taken Dennis Smith Jr if PHil Jackson was gone?" - @WindhorstESPN

"Uh... yeah" - @AminESPN

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by Underdog

@NickVanExit: "Do you think the Knicks would have taken Dennis Smith Jr if PHil Jackson was gone?" - @WindhorstESPN

"Uh... yeah" - @AminESPN

Problem is that we don't know who the gm would be so the pick could have been a few players. I actually actually think they take Monk.

[Underdog]

https://embed.radio.com/clip/6214064...5-53&r20id=118

[FreshJive]

Originally Posted by Underdog

https://embed.radio.com/clip/6214064...5-53&r20id=118

Awesome. Thanks for posting this.

[tap2390]

https://youtu.be/HB6UkJU8n7U

I can't any work done before this game. It's been awhile since I've been this excited for an athlete.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by FreshJive

Awesome. Thanks for posting this.

Yeah, nice to finally hear an interview with Smith Jr. -- sounds like he has a good head on his shoulders, seems unconcerned with the all flashy bullshit most young players are into.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by tap2390

https://youtu.be/HB6UkJU8n7U

I can't any work done before this game. It's been awhile since I've been this excited for an athlete.

Poor Nick Friedman -- dude has sound fundamentals and a quick step, but he's just too damn short to keep up.

Also, Dennis Smith Jr. might have just hijacked my Dirk boner...

[tap2390]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Poor Nick Friedman -- dude has sound fundamentals and a quick step, but he's just too damn short to keep up.

Also, Dennis Smith Jr. might have just hijacked my Dirk boner...

He's an up-and-comer himself in the coaching ranks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCCYS9UzCdo

I suspect we'll see him in the NBA sooner rather than later.

[Skywalker]

http://www.nba.com/article/2017/07/0...and-lonzo-ball

Dallas Mavericks rookie Dennis Smith Jr. and Dennis Sr. nothing like Lonzo Ball and LaVar

Mavericks' highest pick since Nowitzki quietly dominating in Summer League

Steve Aschburner
Steve Aschburner NBA.com
@AschNBAArchive
Jul 9, 2017 11:02 PM ET

LAS VEGAS -- The son sent a few jolts through the stands at the Thomas & Mack Center Sunday afternoon, flashed the skills that earned him his lottery status and generally grabbed the game against Phoenix by the throat.

The father moved throughout the building causing nary a ripple. Craving none, either. No reality-TV entourage in tow, no pregame, mid-game or postgame interviews (OK, so one postgame), no whipping up of the spectators from his VIP seat like Maximus working the Colosseum crowd.

And it was good.

Look, there are as many ways to hype an NBA rookie point guard as there are ways to skin a cat, but Dennis Smith Sr. is about as far removed from LaVar Ball’s style and tactics as a fellow doting father-with-a-budding-star-in-the-family can get.

Ball -- in case you’ve been seeking your higher consciousness in the Himalayas for the past nine months -- is the unabashed, me-us-me father of Lonzo, the Los Angeles Lakers’ choice as floor leader and franchise savior. He has been, is and presumably will remain front and center as his offspring goes about the challenging work of learning the league’s toughest position while getting at least close to all the outsized expectations.

He’s the dad who tried to extract a $1 billion endorsement deal from one of the sneaker companies, then pivoted to put out a $495 pair of shoes. He’s the dad who stripped off his shirt for the cameras on WWE Raw. He’s the dad, too, who said Saturday night Lonzo will become the greatest guard in NBA history -- better than his kid’s first boss, Magic Johnson, in the job he’s held for two weeks.

So Dennis Smith Jr. chuckled when someone suggested he and his dad might be doing this all wrong.

"We’re country folks!" said Smith, the No. 9 pick in last month’s draft out of North Carolina State. "We don’t need all of the limelight. We do what we’re supposed to do and mind our business."

Smith Jr. had just led the Dallas Mavericks to an 88-77 victory over Phoenix, their second victory in as many days in the Las Vegas Summer League. He scored 25 points in 27 minutes on 8-of-14 shooting, grabbed eight rebounds, dished four assists, had four steals and five turnovers. He got to the line nine times, too, routinely attacking the Suns’ bigger players, such as fellow lottery pick Josh Jackson and center Marquese Chriss.

While Smith Jr. talked afterward with a group of media folks about his learning curve of defensive rotations, a dunk that got away and the eight points he scored down the stretch, one reporter peeled off to speak with Smith Sr. He stood against a wall in the north tunnel and, though at a far lower volume than certain other dads here, spoke as proudly about his son.

"I think this was a real good reflection of what he can do," Smith Sr. said. "When we get the other [veteran Dallas] players on the court, we’re gonna see how much better he can be.

"He’s always just gonna get out there and play his game. It doesn’t matter about the guys [Ball or Jackson] picked before him. Dallas is the perfect fit for him. Everybody I talked to had great things to say about the Mavericks. They said they were probably the best organization to play for."

Smith Jr. is the highest pick Dallas has had since it got Dirk Nowitzki in a draft-night maneuver with Milwaukee in 1998. Coach Rick Carlisle raved about his end-to-end speed and assertiveness after the Mavs’ first game Saturday. Summer coach Jamahl Mosley made sure the 19-year-old used that, repeatedly encouraging him to attack to create opportunities, rather than surveying the floor and picking his spots.

Smith Jr. also was active talking with teammates, during plays for positioning and after whistles for tips and closure. There were some who questioned his leadership in the Wolfpack’s 15-17 season, 4-14 in the ACC.

Smith Sr. swatted that one down. "He’s been doing it all his life," the father said. "He’s been playing point guard for me basically since he was six years old. That’s typical for him."

As for the overarching key to young Smith’s basketball success, the father said: "He listened."

Good thing. Dennis Smith Sr. was all the lifeline "Junior" (as the family calls him) and his sister De’Aira had after their mother, Helena, left when the boy was 13 months old. It’s a topic the father and son avoid discussing publicly, as The Dallas Morning News discovered in reporting a lengthy profile of the Mavericks’ new player.

Helena had sketchy contact with them for a spell, then none at all, until some phone calls sparked a long-distance, semi-relationship more recently. The heavy lifting of single fatherhood, though, was left to Dennis Sr., a military veteran who worked a variety of jobs, including medical equipment technician.

It was Dennis Sr. who helped teach his son the skills he would need to excel, including dribbling with gloves on to improve his handle. It was Dennis Sr. who had Dennis Jr.’s teammates sleep over, keeping him close in their modest apartment. And it was Dennis Sr. who helped motivate Junior through his lonely, sometimes grueling rehab after he tore the ACL in his left knee.

The injury cost him his senior season at Trinity Christian high school in Fayetteville, N.C. The rehab work paid off in renewed explosiveness, the acclaim he earned as the ACC’s top freshman and the position in which the two find themselves today.

"He’s the reason I started playing basketball, the reason I’m athletic," Smith Jr. said. "I learned everything from him. Manners, you name it. He taught me everything that I know. He was the main piece making me into the man I am today."

Just less noisy than some.

"We’re just doing things basically our way, the way we’ve gone it the whole while," Smith Sr. said. "Staying humble. Giving God the glory of all of it."

The father laughed. "I’d rather not be doing an interview right now."

The young point guard already is wearing "Smith Jr." on his summer jersey, a style he’ll stick with to honor the man who made it possible. Smith Sr. and a friend did come up with a brand for the family, a logo with the "j" and the "r" in lower-case letters. They’re not exactly hawking merchandise, though Smith Sr. was wearing one of their T-shirts Sunday.

"It’s about him. It ain’t about me, ya know what I’m saying?" the father said. "I’m just the dad. He’s the player. This suits my family very well. Staying in the background, letting him do his thing."

What a concept.

[BPo001]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/1...llas-mavericks
Great read on the Woodslanger. I can't wait to watch him play this season. We might be terrible, but he brings something to this team that we have never had.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by BPo001

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/1...llas-mavericks
Great read on the Woodslanger. I can't wait to watch him play this season. We might be terrible, but he brings something to this team that we have never had.

We had explosiveness with Ellis and we had playmaking/leadership with Kidd/Nash. Roddy could dunk like a madman. We've certainly had some of those skills, but definitely not all in one package.

We've also rarely had a center that can block shots and make oops. As long as we match Noel, which is almost a lock, then we'll have the two things we've really been hurting for lately.

[Underdog]

@NickDePaula: Mavs rookie Dennis Smith Jr is the only Top10 pick yet to sign a shoe deal. He's betting on his strong Summer League play to increase offers

[EricaLubarsky]

When do the playoffs start?

[tap2390]

Originally Posted by Underdog

@NickDePaula: Mavs rookie Dennis Smith Jr is the only Top10 pick yet to sign a shoe deal. He's betting on his strong Summer League play to increase offers

fingers crossed he goes with Big Baller Brand

[Underdog]

@AdamSchefter: Hope it's wrong but Frank Ntilikina ahead of Dennis Smith Jr. already feels like Frederic Weis one spot before Ron Artest in 1999 NBA Draft.