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2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 22: College basketball is over

By Chris Stone

Jan 14, 2017; Stanford, CA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) moves the ball against the Stanford Cardinal in the second half at Maples Pavilion. Stanford won 76-69. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 14, 2017; Stanford, CA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) moves the ball against the Stanford Cardinal in the second half at Maples Pavilion. Stanford won 76-69. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 31, 2016; Coral Gables, FL, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) shoots over Miami Hurricanes guard Bruce Brown (11) during the first half at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2016; Coral Gables, FL, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) shoots over Miami Hurricanes guard Bruce Brown (11) during the first half at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
Learn more about Dennis Smith Jr. at The Step Back.

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Dennis Smith Jr.

PG, North Carolina St.

It would be very hard to imagine a scenario in which Derrick Rose leads the New York Knicks out of their slumber, which means that there will be a hole to fill at the point guard spot for the team in the near future. North Carolina State’s Dennis Smith Jr. has tremendous offensive upside and should fill the role well.

Smith is an excellent leaper and quick twitch athlete who can explode to the rim in either the halfcourt or transition. He averaged 20.8 points per 40 minutes on a 56.3 true shooting percentage as a freshman on a bad team, which bodes well given that he was still able to score efficiently. Smith knocked down 35.9 percent of his 3s, can facilitate an offense out of pick-and-roll and has no problems being the go-to guy in an offense when needed.

Defensively, he won’t be switchable, but he should be able to handle the point of attack when he locks in. Unfortunately, that’s not something Smith showed consistently in college. Still, he was capable when he tried. Smith also managed to grab 2.2 steals per 40 minutes simply because of his quickness and off-ball awareness.

There’s no word on if Smith knows how to run the triangle.

Learn more about Dennis Smith Jr. at The Step Back.