Dallas Mavericks rookie Dennis Smith Jr. has the talent and physical tools to become a standout in the NBA.
But right now, it’s about incremental improvement for the point guard selected No. 9 overall out of North Carolina State in June. He improved in playing with pace after his preseason debut this week and during Thursday night’s 112-89 loss to Orlando — with most of the Mavs’ starting unit and all of the veterans remaining home for the second game of a back-to-back — Smith got a taste of running the show and calling his own plays.
Smith was able to get his teammates involved while also creating for himself plenty, finishing with 13 points, three rebounds and one assist in nearly 19 minutes during his third preseason game.