Dennis Smith Jr. is a tremendous prospect to the point where it was a legitimate surprise when the now-former NC State point guard fell to the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 9 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Since then, Smith Jr. saw his star rise quickly in Las Vegas when showcasing his electric set of skills at NBA Summer League and, in the process, the “experts” in the handicapping world inserted him as one of the favorites to claim Rookie of the Year honors.
While that requires some projection, it appears as if Smith Jr. has the perfect tutor to help him get there. Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated brings word that Smith Jr. is working closely with legendary Providence point guard God Shammgod and, while that may seem like a coincidence, it seems as if it was almost preordained.
Shammgod, for the younger crowd not familiar with his work, is considered to be one of the best ball-handlers of all-time and, recently, Russell Westbrook paid tribute on the floor during his MVP campaign. Now, Shammgod happens to be a member of Rick Carlisle’s staff with the Mavericks and, according to Smith Jr., Shammgod has been talking about the youngster as “the best point guard in this class” since “(Smith’s) sophomore year in high school.”
Per the report, Smith Jr. and Shammgod came into contact at an Under Armour summer camp in 2014 and, in short, Shammgod kindly reminded Smith Jr. that he is still a legendarily ball-handler. From there, the former and current point guards struck up something of a mentor-like relationship and, at the end of the day, Smith Jr. ended up directly under his wing at the professional level.
There has been plenty of discussion and speculation as to how Carlisle, who has a checkered reputation in dealing with point guards of all ages, will deal with a highly talented point guard with top-10 pedigree. Beyond that, all indications are that Smith Jr. will be handed the keys immediately and, even with Dirk Nowitzki still on the roster and Harrison Barnes established as a highly-paid core piece, the upside of the rookie point guard is real and apparent.
It is certainly a leap to think that Shammgod can singlehandedly facilitate growth in Smith Jr. when working under Carlisle but, in the same breath, a relationship like the one depicted here can only help Smith Jr.’s development, both immediately and well down the line.
