NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 16: Lonzo Ball to the Lakers
By Chris Stone
Dennis Smith Jr.
PG, North Carolina St.
North Carolina State’s Dennis Smith Jr. has one of the highest upsides of any player in this draft is he’s able to match his athleticism with production on the court. Smith is explosive off the floor and has thrown down more than one Sportscenter Top 10 play as a freshman. He is averaging 21.8 points per 40 minutes this season with a 57.6 true shooting percentage. Smith is also converting 37.4 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Defensively, there are more questions with Smith that largely relate to his height (6-foot-3) and effort. The 19-year old is often found slacking off the ball or not rotating to 3-point shooters when he slides off of them. To really fulfill his potential, Smith will need to be more engaged on the defensive end because his 2.3 steals per 40 minutes suggest he can make a big impact there.
In Philadelphia, there would obviously be some questions regarding fit given Ben Simmons’ potential role as a primary ball-handler, but Smith can play a bit off the ball and save Simmons from playing that role 100 percent of the time. The Sixers simply need to grab the best player available and go from there.