USA TODAY International Edition
Mavericks found rising star in Smith
Dallas point guard was a hot shot in December
Three rookies in this year’s NBA draft class have logged a triple-double, and Mavericks guard Dennis Smith Jr. is one of them.
Smith, the No. 9 pick out of North Carolina State, blitzed the Pelicans on Friday for 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as he surpassed Jason Kidd as the youngest Maverick to record a triple-double. He was also the thirdyoungest player in league history with a triple-double. More significantly, the Mavericks won on the road in New Orleans, their third win of a four-game winning streak, all of which have come against playoff teams.
To hear Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle talk about his flourishing rookie is to hear a coach teeming with excitement about his team’s future.
“We drafted him because we think he can be a great player, one of the best players to ever play in a Mavericks uniform, on the one hand,” he said. “On the other hand, the things that are really essential to winning and are very nuanced aren’t screaming out to the world the way a triple-double is. And he’s understanding that. It’s a huge step.”
Smith recently returned after missing six games with a strained left hip, and Dallas is 5-2 since his return.
He had his best shooting month in December, knocking down 42% from the field, including 44% from the threepoint line. He also minimized his turnovers with just 2.2 per game after consecutive months of over three per game. The rookie hasn’t missed a start, growing more accustomed to the speed of the game and becoming more confident in who he is as a player.
Known for his leaping ability, Smith is also a confident outside shooter and savvy pick-and-roll player. Against the Pelicans he pushed the pace, attacked the lane, converted second-chance points and found numerous passing seams that most rookies wouldn’t dare.
Thirty games into his professional career, there’s little doubt Smith can help usher in a new era of Mavs basketball once Dirk Nowitzki retires.
This week’s USA TODAY NBA rookie power rankings (stats going into Wednesday):
1. Ben Simmons, 76ers (16.6 points per game, 7.5 assists, 8.6 rebounds): Simmons has the sixth-most field goal attempts inside of five 5 of any player in the NBA. The others on that list are Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMarcus Cousins, LeBron James, Andre Drummond and Russell Westbrook. Of that group, Simmons has the third-highest FG percentage at nearly 66%.
2. Donovan Mitchell, Jazz (18.2 ppg, 3.4 apg, 3.2 rpg): Mitchell spearheaded the Jazz’s impressive win over the Cavaliers on Saturday with 29 points (and several vicious dunks), six assists, four rebounds and three steals.
3. Kyle Kuzma, Lakers (17.5 ppg, 1.7 apg, 6.5 rpg): As great as Kuzma has been for the Lakers, he hasn’t been able to wrest them from their sevengame losing streak. In that span, Kuzma has shot 36% on 42-for-117 from the field.
4. Jayson Tatum, Celtics (14.1 ppg, 1.4 apg, 5.6 rpg): Tatum’s three-point shooting tailed off a bit this past week, but he still leads the league from beyond the arc at 47%.
5. Lauri Markkanen, Bulls (14.7 ppg, 1.3 apg, 7.4 rpg): Markkanen and Nikola Mirotic have been leading the Bulls’ resurgence with an assault from the three-point line. Markkanen has knocked down 16 three-pointers in his last six games.