A Royal Pain
Fansided

A Royal Prospect: Dennis Smith Jr.

By Tyler Watts

Mar 7, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Clemson Tigers guard Avry Holmes (12) defends North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) during the first half during the ACC Conference Tournament at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 7, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Clemson Tigers guard Avry Holmes (12) defends North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) during the first half during the ACC Conference Tournament at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 21, 2017; Raleigh, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) drives to the basket as Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Brandon Childress (0) defends during the second half at PNC Arena. The Demon Deacons won 93-88. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2017; Raleigh, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) drives to the basket as Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Brandon Childress (0) defends during the second half at PNC Arena. The Demon Deacons won 93-88. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports /

Weaknesses

Floor General

Smith Jr. needs to improve his ability to run a team.  According to DraftExpress, he is not a vocal on-court leader, and he demonstrated chemistry and body language with teammates that were not positive.  He also turned the ball over too much last season and missed some easy opportunities he created for teammates because he was doing too much the ball.

Dennis Smith Jr. would probably best served on an NBA team with a veteran point guard who could mentor him along for in 2017-2018.  A man who has been around the block and can show Smith Jr. how to lead, communicate, and get the best out of his teammates on the floor.

Consistency

Smith Jr. was inconsistent on the defensive end of the floor last season.  For a player with his athletic ability, the opposing guard should not blow past him or get completely free from Smith Jr., but it happened with regularity.  The issue seems mostly to do with effort and desire and not some huge flaw in his game.

Late last season, Smith Jr. even was inconsistent on the offensive end of the floor.  NC State won just one of their last 11 games, and Smith Jr. was not performing great.  He had three single-digit scoring games, four games where he failed to make a three-pointer, and three games where he shot below 29% from the field in those 11 contests.  The team and Smith Jr. seemed to be riding a roller coaster of inconsistency, and that is not a great trait for an NBA point guard.

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