For anyone keeping track, Smith will join his sixth NBA team in the past seven years when he suits up for Brooklyn on opening night. Despite an ongoing ankle concern, Smith is coming off the best season of his career. He finished just outside the top 150 in nine-category leagues, averaging 8.8 points to go with 3.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 25.7 minutes per game. After falling well short of the mark during his earlier years, he has been able to reinvent himself as an elite defender from the point guard position. His lack of perimeter scoring is offset by his assist numbers, making him a viable rotation piece for the Nets. While he isn't someone managers need to be prioritizing in drafts, he is worth monitoring as a potential defensive streaming option. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a one-year deal with the Nets in July of 2023.
Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary
Dennis Cliff Smith Jr. was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1997. Smith's family lives and breathes basketball. His sister De'Aira played at Fayetteville State University. Smith's father, Dennis Smith Sr. coached his son's teams from the elementary level to the national AAU circuit. For high school, Smith spent four years at Trinity Christian School in in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and lead the team to a State Championship as a sophomore. As a junior, he averaged 22.2 points per game for Trinity Christian, taking the team to the 1A High School State Semifinal and capturing Gatorade State Player of the Year Honors. Smith, a lifelong Wolfpack fan, spent one year at North Carolina State University, where he started all 32 of the team's games, averaging 18.1 points per game, the highest by a freshman in NC State history. Smith is close friends with hip-hop artist J. Cole, who also grew up in Fayetteville. You can follow Dennis Smith Jr. on Twitter @Dennis1SmithJr and on Instagram @Desmith4. The one year (2016-17) that Dennis Smith spent at North Carolina State had plenty of highlights. The 6-foot-3 guard supplied a pair of triple-doubles and averaged 18.1 points, 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. In the final game of the non-conference slate against Rider, Smith posted 19 points and 16 assists. He helped the Wolfpack beat Virginia Tech with his first triple-double: 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists along with five steals. His second such performance came in a loss against Syracuse: 13 points, 11 rebounds and 15 assists. Smith followed that game with 31 points against Miami, which was one short of his season high set earlier in a win over Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The freshman was only held to single-digit scoring in three games. Smith was named ACC Rookie of the Year and to the All-ACC Second Team. After the season, Smith committed to the 2017 draft, forgoing his final three seasons of eligibility.
Iffy for Thursday
GBrooklyn Nets
Back
November 29, 2023
Smith (back) is questionable for Thursday's game versus the Hornets, Evan Barnes of Newsday reports.
ANALYSIS Smith is in danger of missing his sixth straight game due to a lower back sprain. Lonnie Walker and Cam Thomas (ankle) will likely be Brooklyn's primary backcourt options off the bench if Smith is ruled out.
2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Starting/Off Bench
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2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Days Rest
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Advanced Stats
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Stat Review
How does Dennis Smith compare to other players?
This section compares his stats with all players from the previous three seasons (minimum 200 minutes played)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
True Shooting %
An advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball that takes field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point percentage into account.
Effective Field Goal %
A statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points while field goals only count for two points.
3-Point Attempt Rate
Percentage of field goal attempts from three point range.
Free Throw Rate
Number of free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
Offensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Defensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available defensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Total Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Assist %
An estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while they were on the floor.
Steal %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while they were on the floor.
Block %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while they were on the floor.
Turnover %
An estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays.
Usage %
An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they were on the floor.
Fantasy Points Per Game
NBA Fantasy Points Per Game.
Fantasy Points Per Minute
NBA Fantasy Points Per Minute.
True Shooting %
48.1%
Effective Field Goal %
45.2%
3-Point Attempt Rate
30.2%
Free Throw Rate
12.7%
Offensive Rebound %
4.6%
Defensive Rebound %
9.3%
Total Rebound %
7.1%
Assist %
25.2%
Steal %
1.6%
Block %
1.0%
Turnover %
9.8%
Usage %
17.8%
Fantasy Points Per Game
14.8
Fantasy Points Per Minute
0.9
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Total
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Per 36
NBA Historical Fantasy Stats
How are these ratings calculated?
Our historical fantasy ratings are standard scores calculated using 8-Category settings with 12 teams and 13 players per team.
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NBA Per Game Historical Fantasy Stats
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NBA Per 36 Historical Fantasy Stats
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Historical ADP
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Nets Depth Chart
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Average Fantasy Points are determined when Dennis Smith was active vs. non-active during the season. Click here to view average fantasy points for a different time period.
Minutes
FanDuel
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Dennis Smith See More
Dan Bruno highlights his favorite plays for Sunday's seven-game slate, including Jayson Tatum, who's been playing at an elite level and faces the Hawks' porous defense that'll be without Jalen Johnson.
Mike Barner highlights his favorite plays for Wednesday's 14-game slate, including Alperen Sengun, who's been putting up stellar numbers of late and faces the Grizzlies' depleted frontcourt.
ANALYSIS Boone went ahead and called Smith's situation with the Hornets a "perfect marriage", as Smith thrived off the bench and was able to enjoy a somewhat stable situation, something that hadn't happened to him ever since he was a rookie. Smith averaged 8.8 points, 4.8 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game across 54 games with the Hornets during the 2022-23 campaign.
Smith has endured quite the fall since being selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2017-18 draft by the Mavericks, with the guard's numbers taking a notable tumble across the board over 34 games in New York last season. Smith averaged a career-low 15.8 minutes per game, leading to new low-water marks of 5.3 points, 2.9 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 34.1 percent shooting, including 29.6 percent from three-point range. While those numbers and Smith's projected season-opening role as the fourth point guard behind Elfrid Payton, Frank Ntilikina and Austin Rivers notably depress his fantasy outlook, Smith is still an athletically gifted player who just turned 23 and impressed as a rookie just two seasons ago with 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 steal over 69 games. Therefore, he may be worth a late-round flyer in very deep formats in the event opportunity opens up for him in New York or elsewhere.
Smith enters 2019 atop the Knicks' depth chart at point guard after being selected in the lottery by Dallas in 2017. Once considered a cornerstone piece of the rebuilding Mavericks, Smith was shipped to New York as part of the massive Kristaps Porzingis deal shortly before the February trade deadline. He played 32 games for Dallas and 21 for New York, missing a total of 29 games due to back issues and illness. After a strong rookie campaign in which he averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 threes and 1.0 steals per game, Smith took a step back in most categories as a sophomore, averaging 13.6 points, 4.8 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 threes. It wasn't all bad last season, however, as Smith made small strides in his efficiency. Though shooting still remains an area of improvement, Smith's shooting averages in 2018-19 while with Dallas (44 FG%, 34.4 3P%) were much improved. Smith had a tumultuous finish to the season, marred by illness and trade rumors in January and a recurring back issue after arriving in New York. While learning to fit in with his new team, he experienced an end-of-season slump that ultimately brought his season averages down in shooting and rebounding. With a full offseason to get healthy and practice with the overhauled Knicks roster, a big bounce-back performance could be in store. The Knicks have added some quality players in RJ Barrett and Julius Randle to play alongside Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson, and Smith will be orchestrating the entire offense.
After being selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Smith put together a very impressive rookie campaign. He started all 69 games he played in and was an immediate playmaker, both as a scorer and as a distributor. Smith's 15.2 points per game were second only to Harrison Barnes (18.9 PPG) on the team and he also added a respectable 5.2 assists. Rounding out his stat line was averages of 3.8 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.5 three-pointers, so Smith also helped out with some peripheral categories that Fantasy owners may struggle to get from other guards. The biggest downfall in his game was his efficiency as a scorer. Smith shot just 39.5 percent from the field, 31.3 percent from the three-point line and just 69.4 percent from the charity stripe, all of which are well below where he needs to be to take his Fantasy value to a new level. With another offseason to work on his shot and overall game, there's a decent chance the 20-year-old is able to show at least minor improvements there. The Mavericks did add some intriguing pieces this offseason, most notably being DeAndre Jordan's signing in free agency and the selection of Luka Doncic with the third overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Doncic adds another seasoned scorer after he locked up EuroLeague MVP honors with Real Madrid last year and should be able to contribute immediately, while Jordan provides an athletic center that should get plenty of lobs from Smith when he drives to the basket. As a result, Smith's assist totals could rise with more talent surrounding him. His per-game points production likely won't budge much, but considering his age and designation as a building block of the future, Smith should have the ball in his hands plenty and will get as much run as possible. If Fantasy owners can overlook the poor percentages, Smith should carry utility across a plethora of formats.
After just one year at North Carolina State where he averaged 18.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.9 steals across 34.8 minutes, Smith opted to enter the 2017 NBA Draft as one of the top point guards in the nation. He ended up falling to the Mavericks with the ninth overall pick and is expected to bring a rare combination of size, speed, scoring and passing ability. The uber-athletic Smith is often considered a score-first point guard and he's especially dangerous around the rim, finishing through contact and throwing down thunderous dunks regularly. During the Orlando Summer League, Smith showed just why experts were so high on the 6-foot-3 guard, as he dominated with averages of 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals. While coach Rick Carlisle hasn't officially announced it, Smith should immediately enter the starting lineup at point guard for the Mavericks, sending Yogi Ferrell to a bench role. Smith's playmaking potential will be crucial in drawing defenders away from guys like Harrison Barnes, Wesley Matthews and Dirk Nowitzki, something the team lacked a year prior. In addition, his ability to score both in the paint and outside the three-point line will be greatly welcomed to a Mavericks' team currently going through a mini rebuild. That should make Smith one of the most intriguing rookies to both watch and use in Fantasy leagues. The potential to slide in as the Mavericks' second best option offensively behind Harrison Barnes and an already solid all-around skill set in place, could make Smith one of the bigger surprises early on in the season, though guys like Ferrell and Seth Curry could eat up some of his minutes every once in awhile.
More Fantasy News
Ruled out
GBrooklyn Nets
Back
November 28, 2023
Smith (back) has been ruled out for Tuesday's matchup versus the Raptors, Evan Barnes of Newsday reports.
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Ruled out Saturday
GBrooklyn Nets
Back
November 24, 2023
Smith (back) won't play in Saturday's game against Miami.
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Deemed day-to-day
GBrooklyn Nets
Back
November 22, 2023
The Nets announced Wednesday that Smith underwent an MRI, which confirmed the diagnosis of a lower back sprain, and will be treated as day-to-day, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports.
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