NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 13: Malik Monk to Sacramento
By Chris Stone
Dennis Smith Jr.
PG, North Carolina St.
Smith is the player with the higher upside as a one-on-one attacker. He’s got a quick first step and enough dribble moves to shake defenders when he gets going downhill. He plays well in the pick-and-roll either using the screen or turning it down to attack an off-balance opponent on his way to the rim where he’s made 58.7 percent of his non-transition layups and dunks this season, per Hoop-Math. Smith is not the same distributor that Ball is in terms of visions or creativity, but he is still effective and averaging a pace adjusted 7.3 assists per 40 minutes.
Defensively, Smith has shown himself to be a pest capable of anticipating and cutting off passing lanes to help create transition looks. However, because of his size and lack of an elite wingspan, it’s hard to project how valuable of a defender he’ll be at the next level since he won’t be a great option for switching.
Phoenix did a great job filling out its frontcourt with high upside prospects last year, but now the Suns have an opportunity to get a potential playmaker on the perimeter early in the 2017 draft.