With the NBA Draft coming up on June 22, A Royal Pain is covering the prospects the Sacramento Kings could select. Today, we take a look at Dennis Smith Jr.
June 22 could be a franchise-altering day for the Sacramento Kings. They have the fifth and tenth overall selections in the NBA draft to boost their struggling franchise. Throw in a second round selection that lands at pick 34 overall and that is three great opportunities to improve their roster.
With the draft being such an important day for the Kings, the A Royal Pain team has decided to profile the prospects and try to give you the information you desire about each and every player.
Today, we will examine another sure fire top ten selection in Dennis Smith Jr. We will first take a look at some background information before going into his strengths and weaknesses. That will be followed by how he fits with Sacramento and some final thoughts. Let us jump right into it.
Background Information (via Draft Express)
Height- 6’3
Weight- 195 lbs
Position- PG
Age- 19 (Born: November 25, 1997)
College- North Carolina State
Hometown- Fayetteville, NC
College Stats (via Sports Reference)
2016-2017: 18.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.4 blocks, 3.4 turnovers, 1.7 three-pointers made in 34.8 minutes per game over 32 games. Shooting percentages: 45.5% field, 35.9 three-point, 71.5 free throw
2016-2017 Highlight video
Strengths
Freaky Athlete
Dennis Smith Jr. has great quickness and the strength to get to the rim. He has shown himself to be able to absorb contact and score the basketball. Every time I watch him play I walk away impressed with his combination of quickness and power.
If you watched the highlight video in this piece, you saw Smith Jr’s dunking ability on display. He is an explosive leaper, and his transition speed allows him to throw down some monster in-game dunks. In my first pre-lottery mock draft, I noted Smith Jr. as a highlight maker, and I think that quality will translate to the NBA.
Scoring Ability
In my opinion, Smith Jr. profiles as more of a Russell Westbrook type point guard than Chris Paul. I believe he will be a score first one instead of distributing first. Smith Jr. has the appearance of a guy who can score from anywhere on the court. I mentioned his ability to get to the rim, and his jump shot looks smooth despite being somewhat inconsistent last season at NC State. If he can develop that consistency, Dennis Smith Jr. could be an elite NBA scorer.
Even without a consistent jump shot, Smith Jr. can be a successful scorer. He will need to prove he can get to the rim and finish the way he did against NCAA competition, though. Russell Westbrook is not exactly a great shooter, but that did not seem to affect him this season.
I believe Smith Jr. will develop into an attacking point guard who wreaks havoc on the defense with his ability to score from anywhere and create opportunities for his teammates.
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.
Fit with Sacramento
The Sacramento Kings do not currently have a point guard on their roster, and they ranked 24th in the NBA in points scored last season. Needless to say, adding a scoring point guard like Dennis Smith Jr. would be a great addition for the Kings.
I would love the fit if the Kings added a veteran reserve point guard to team with Smith Jr. to show him the ropes and be the vocal leader.
Smith Jr. would also bring some excitement to the Sacramento fan base and give the Kings some more national attention. This young man is going to be a highlight maker, and that leads to GIFs and plays of the night features, something Sacramento has lacked in recent seasons.
I have Smith Jr. ranked as the fourth best point guard in this draft behind Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, and De’Aaron Fox. The Kings could target Smith Jr. at pick five or ten overall and would be walking away with their point guard of the future and a player with immense talent and upside.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, my prospect profile on Dennis Smith Jr. Big thanks to DraftExpress for all their help in producing this piece. They are a fantastic resource for all things NBA prospects so give their site a visit.
As I sunk into the film, I found myself once again amazed with Smith Jr’s athletic gifts and ability to get to the rack. I can see that translating to the NBA. I think Smith Jr. turns into a starting point guard for years to come and a score first guard that is a nightmare for opposing defenders. Do not be surprised to see him picked before Sacramento selects at pick ten and if the night falls right for him, he might even be gone by pick five overall.
A Royal Pain has all the content you desire about the Sacramento Kings this offseason. In addition to the draft, we will be covering free agency and all those juicy rumors, so please check back with us often. Thank you for reading.