01/17/2019
Photo by: mavs.com
For Dennis Smith Jr and the Is it too soon?
Iâm not sure how the went from securing a core for the future last year to âescalating discussionsâ on dismantling it. Let us remember that Dennis Smith Jr is the Dallasâ highest draft selection since Devin Harris a decade ago! (We all know âWonder Boyâ was selected 3rd by the Hawks then traded to DAL⌠) And if youâre wondering why that is so, itâs because the Mavericks unbearably doesnât seem to value young talent as much. I donât think I can remember any Rookie selected by Dallas in the Draft thatâs stayed for more than three years. Most recently, summer league stand-out, Justin Anderson was traded for Nerlens Noel not so long ago. I canât bear to watch seeing Dennis Smith Jr go next.
Just a little side note: traded a young Steve Nash nearly a decade and a half ago, Nash later won two straight MVPs with Phoenix. I guess they traded him too soon. Hopefully, this wonât be the case for DSJ
I love Dallasâ âWIN NOWâ Mentality but I dislike the idea of unnecessarily tinkering with the Mavericksâ core every year. I recently read an article somewhere (or was it a comment on an MFFL Facebook group? haha! anywayâŚ) that wrote that the last time the Mavericks had a steady core was the years (2008 â 2011) building up to â11 when Dallas won it all. KEEP the core together! Rome wasnât built in a day, these things, especially contenders (obviously) will take time to develop.
What I find most disheartening is that I donât think the organization (and some fansâŚ) are giving DSJ a chance. Heâs missed 15 games this season, most of it because of a wrist injury that occurred against the Clippers in a DAL Home win (where DSJ blocked the taller Harrisâ game-tying shot to seal the win, remember?), and the last few absences are because of a sore back. DSJ is hasnât been active in a week or two and then thereâs suddenly chatter about Dallas wanting to trade him.
Just give the DSJ-Doncic backcourt until the end of the season to figure it out, I know they can and will! Dennis Smith Jr. has raw athleticism that just needs a little more refining, but he has all the talent to be an offensive star. Curryâs trainer said so too! I still believe trading DSJ is something will regret. Imagine asking âwhat couldâve beenâ in the future. Besides, itâs not like the Mavericks are all that athleticâŚ
DSJ APPRECIATION: Dennis Smith Jr is statistically shooting better than Doncic (Fg% and 3Pt Fg%) Heâs already got consistency on his jumper, it wonât take long until he figures it out.
DSJ: 44.3Fg% 37.5 3PtFg% | Doncic: 43.5Fg% 37.3 3PtFg%
At the start of the season, I believed that the Doncic-Smith backcourt was special, I still do until now, but if the âFuture is nowâ, will we still see this backcourt tomorrow?
Anyway, I have school work to do⌠Iâll just end saying this to , just like Arthur Morgan to Dutch, âI trust your judgment, I always haveâ
"Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter." â Izaak Walton
