Can Dennis Smith Jr. be another Baron Davis?

Honestly, I don’t like present player/past player comparisons. It’s not exactly that easy in the NBA especially with how much the game has changed even in just the last 10 years.

Whenever we’re presented with a talented young player (case in point, Dennis Smith Jr.) our way of visualizing his potential is to compare them to someone who came before. It’s easier for us to realize what that could mean for a team going forward like the Dallas Mavericks.

This phenomenon has reached uber-tiresome levels with most European 3-point shooting white big men being called “the next Dirk.” It’s ridiculous and even unfair to the new prospect being forced to fill shoes they were never meant to be born into.

But what about if we take it down a notch? What if we take a really good player like, say, Baron Davis? Is someone like that OK for the “comparison” test?

As mentioned before Dennis Smith Jr. fits the mold of the attack-first point guard. His explosive athleticism and bowling-ball physicality puts him in the conversation with other similarly styled point guards like Russell Westbrook and Davis. Is it fair?

Smith admits his favorite player growing up was Davis so that allows a bit more leeway when making this comparison. How does Davis himself feel about this?

?? @Dennis1SmithJr next up !! https://t.co/VCFacc5qet

— Baron Davis (@BaronDavis) July 15, 2017

Let’s look at the numbers. Over his 12-year career, Davis finished with career averages of 16.1 points per game and 7.2 assists (stats credit of basketball-reference.com). Those are solid numbers.

He was a career 71% free-throw shooter, but a below-average sniper from distance (career 32% from deep).

All we have to work with for Dennis Smith Jr. is his one season at N.C. state. He averaged 18 points per game on 45.5% shooting from the field, shot 36% from deep and was a 71.5% free throw shooter. He also averaged six assists per game.

Now let’s look at this from a visual standpoint. Notice the ferocity with which Davis attacks the rim, something Smith Jr. is well-known for.

Now, let’s look at some of Smith Jr.’s college highlights. It’s like looking in a mirror.

They’re both nearly the same height and weight. Baron Davis once had a 43-inch vertical, Smith Jr. has a 48-inch leap. They both possess lethal ball-handling skills and have great vision seeing their open teammates and the court around them.

The only glaring difference between these two on paper (and, again, Dennis Smith Jr. hasn’t even played an NBA game yet) is their ability to shoot from deep. Davis’ best season from deep (not counting his 15-game stint in Cleveland in 2010-11 where he shot 41.4%) was 2001-02 when he finished at 35.6%, a number very close to Smith Jr.’s final year at N.C. State.

Honestly, it’s too early to make this comparison. Yes, Smith Jr. fits the mold of Davis and plays a very similar style (no coincidence there). He might even project to be a better shooter than Davis if he continues to work on his range.

The point I’m trying to make here is that if Smith Jr. does end up as the Mavericks’ own version of Davis, that’s a great thing for the franchise and the future of this team. It’ll be exciting to find out.