NBA Draft 2017: Mavs take Dennis Smith Jr. at No. 9

The Mavs selected point guard Dennis Smith Jr. with the ninth overall pick, in the 2017 NBA Draft.

The Dallas Mavericks drafted Dennis Smith Jr. out of NC State, with the ninth overall pick. Smith is a very athletic point guard who possess the all-around game that most coaches covet with their floor general. He carved through defenses throughout the entire 2016-17 college season, but also found the time to set his teammates up for easy buckets as well.

An astonishing fact about Smith was that he recorded two triple-doubles last season, which is a remarkable feat to accomplish. It’s no Russell Westbrook, but very impressive nonetheless. The Mavericks have been lacking a solid point guard for many years now, and they may have finally found one that they could build around.

Smith will allow sharp-shooter Seth Curry to play his natural shooting guard position, and set him up for some sweet 3-point shooting. He will also inject much needed athleticism and youth to a Mavericks team that appeared stagnant at times when Curry or forward Harrison Barnes were struggling with their shots.

Smith has some concerns on the defensive side of the ball, as he tends to get side tracked at times there. Often focusing on trying to get steals, his opponents were able to get by him frequently at times. With that said though, his size and athleticism at the position give him more than enough potential to tighten things up and become a solid two-way player.

Next: FanSided 2017 NBA Draft Tracker

Mavericks fans have to be excited about this pick, as it is great value as we approach the lower tier of the lottery picks. Smith can certainly live up to the hype and make the three teams who drafted point guards ahead of him, regret their decisions in passing up on him.

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