New York Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr. has been all over social media this summer and his showing at The Crawsover Pro-Am was a doozy.
Dennis Smith Jr. is having one hell of a summer. The New York Knicks point guard is the type of high-flying dunker who was made for the NBA’s summer social media circuit. In a recent pro-am event, he was a show-stopper.
Dennis Smith Jr. put on a show in @thecrawsover championship. Drops 50. #NewYorkForever #Knicks pic.twitter.com/Ye5BrgdCnL
— Danny Small (@dwsmall8) September 3, 2019
The Knicks are hoping they’ve finally found a franchise point guard. The team has been searching for a legitimate floor general for the better part of two decades.
While Smith’s summer highlights are fun to watch, don’t put too much stock into this performance. What the point guard does in a Knicks uniform is really all that matters.
Smith’s first two seasons in the league came with highs and lows. The uber-athletic guard has all the physical tools to be successful, but he still needs to improve in a few areas. Three-point shooting is one glaring weakness for Smith right now. He’s only a 31.6% three-point shooter in his career.
Additionally, Smith is still learning the ins and outs of what it means to play point guard in the NBA. It’s the toughest position to learn, and generally speaking, most point guards take a few years to really flourish in the role.
Year three will be a pivotal moment in Smith’s career. He was a key piece of the deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks.
After the late-January trade, Smith appeared in 21 games with New York. He averaged 14.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.
The North Carolina native was still adapting to his new situation in the short time he was with New York last season. How he performs in his first full season with the Knicks will tell us a lot more than any summer league mixtape could.
