NBA Draft Profiles: Top 5 Point Guards For Philadelphia 76ers
By Owen Nelson
3. Dennis Smith Jr.
Measurements
Height: 6-3
Weight: 195lb
Wingspan: 6-3
Stats
Points: 19.1
Assists: 6.2
Rebounds: 4.3
Steals: 2.2
Blocks: 0.4
FG percentage: 45.3
3FG percentage: 37
After suffering an ACL tear prior to his senior year of high school, causing him to miss the entire season year, Dennis Smith Jr. has bounced back better than anyone could’ve ever expected. He seems to have a quicker first step, a bit more bouncier. His elite athleticism was his main selling point, so after that dreaded knee injury, NBA and college teams feared his athleticism would take a knock. His return this year has been phenomenal and made him as a potential number one pick candidate.
Full Of Surprises
One nice surprise has been Smith Jr.’s three point shot, his three point shot was one of his weaknesses going into the college season. He started rough from three to start the year but has gone 44.4 percent from three since December 15. If Smith Jr. can continue to shoot it at this percentage then there will definitely be a tough choice ahead for whoever has the number one pick. A player with elite athleticism and three point shot is the way the NBA is headed.
One bad tendency of Smith Jr. is his shot selection can at times be erratic and irrational, if his shot isn’t falling he needs to learn to stop shooting and start dishing to his teammates. This has only happens on a few occasions but he will learn as he gets older. Also his previous knee injury will definitely play a factor on where he gets drafted. No matter how well he plays this year, that injury will be in the back of every team’s minds because of how these injuries have ended careers in the past.