The National Basketball Association is a star driven league. You need to get star level players on your roster in order to compete at a high level. Obtaining players of that caliber is not an easy task, but the theory of constructing a championship level roster is simple at its root. Collect as many players that you think can turn into star players as possible. Then, fill up the rest of your roster with players that you feel the best compliment your star(s). Obviously, you have to do all of this under the constraints of the NBA salary cap, but the idea is simple, and stars drive the narrative in this league.
Star players make teams relevant. The more “stars” you have on your roster, the easier it then becomes to compete for championships. Look at the two teams that have played in the final the past three seasons; they have star players up-and-down each of their respective rosters. The game’s biggest star, LeBron James, he’s been to the finals every since 2011.
The recipe for success isn’t too confusing.
In today’s NBA, one star makes your team watchable, two stars make your team a legitimate contender, and three stars almost guarantees you a finals appearance. Yeah, I know, coaching and schematics matter — but at the root of everything, the NBA comes down to the star players and how they perform during the most critical points of a given game — especially in the playoffs.
So what are team decision makers trying to do at all times? Obtain star players however possible! From Danny Ainge in Boston & Daryl Morey in Houston — top executives are continually tweaking their rosters trying to assemble the best combination of talent and salaries to package off for star-level talent.
Teams across the league are dying to get their hands on players they think can transcend their franchises to new heights. No one said it’s easy to obtain franchise stars. It often can take years or in some cases maybe never happen at all. One thing we do know for certain is that it takes a little bit of luck to land a player that can carry a franchise. What makes the NBA so interesting year-after-year is that anything is possible. Which is what brings us to the Mavs.
In 2011, the Mavericks lone star Dirk took matters into his own hands, carrying the Mavericks to a title alongside a group that fits perfectly together. Dirk was the star and everyone around him knew their specific roles. Through great team play, excellent coaching, and a star of Dirk’s magnitude, the team reached the mountain top defeating the Miami Heat in 6 games to grab the title. But winning a title with one lone star seems near impossible in today’s NBA — where stars are playing alongside other stars — the days of a singular star title team may be behind us.
But before you can get multiple stars you need to grab one. The Mavericks have been searching for a star next to Dirk Nowitzki for years. They’ve whiffed in free agency and have struck out within the trade market. Now, as Dirk’s career winds down, the team is in search for a new star. Harrison Barnes was a solid pickup last season as he grew exponentially as a player. He is getting paid like a star, but in all reality, he could probably only be the third or fourth option on a title team during his peak powers.
Things did get even more interesting regarding that pursuit during last June’s draft. The Mavericks are envisioning their 9th overall selection from North Carolina State, Dennis Smith, Jr., as the bonafide star they’ve been searching for, for years.
As training camp approaches and the anticipation for this year’s team continues to build, let’s go back and look at Dennis Smith’s lone year at North Carolina State — as well as — project what we can expect from the 19-year Fayetteville kid who goes by the nickname, Junior.
2016–2017 Season In Review
“Three years ago Markelle Fultz, Josh Jackson, and Dennis Smith Jr. were all on the same level,″ Fraschilla told the Fayetteville Observer. “Dennis gets hurt before his senior year in high school, tearing his ACL. He comes back this year and plays on a dysfunctional team (at N.C. State). People were blaming him for the team not being as good, and all of the sudden the perception becomes, ‘Well, maybe he’s not as good as we thought.’
Dennis Smith Jr’s only year at North Carolina State probably didn’t go the way he envisioned. When Dennis Smith Jr. made his debut for Wolfpack, he was 622 days removed from an ACL tear that forced him to miss his entire senior year of high school. In today’s game, an ACL injury isn’t as career threatening as it once was — players often come back stronger and faster than they once were following their first ACL tear. DSJ did just that, increasing his vertical leap from 40-inches to 48-inches. Flashing that once-in-a-generation explosiveness that put him on the radar of every top college team in America.
I mean check out these highlights:
Let’s just say it didn’t take too long until he was making explosive plays out on the court. It’s hard to ignore how violent and aggressive Smith is when he is attacking the basket. He has already shown flashes of what players like Baron Davis, Derrick Rose, and Russell Westbrook were doing at his age. It seems Smith possesses a better jump shot at this point in his career.
It’s hard to blame Smith Jr. for much that went on during his time at North Carolina State. Yes, he often looked a little lackadaisical on defense, but when you carry a heavy offensive burden, defense can take a backseat especially as a freshman in college. Smith may not possess an ideal wingspan at the NBA level (listed at 6 foot 3) — yet his main concern defensively should be navigating the screen on the pick-and-roll, which he seemed to do pretty well in Summer League.
The steal potential is there for the taking for the Mavericks and Smith. Remember who the Mavericks took the last time they had the 9th overall selection? Attitude issues and team dysfunction lowered his stock which ultimately landed him in Dallas. Smith now has talent around him at every position and a stable and well respected organizational culture — everything is in place for him to flourish this year.
2017–2018 Outlook
The night the Mavericks drafted Dennis Smith, Jr. with the 9th overall selection head coach Rick Carlisle said this, “Before anybody asks, I would project him at this point as a starter. But he’s going to have to earn it. And he understands that. This is a historic night for us.”
Heading into training camp DSJ will be projected as the starter, but he will certainly have to earn it. If summer league gives you any indication, earning that starting point guard position shouldn’t be too much to ask for Smith.
Two areas of his game that I expect him to struggle with early on is on the defensive side of the ball as well as turnovers on the offensive end.
Either way, it’s going to be a fun year for Dennis Smith Jr. He ‘oozes’ with freakish star potential. So it’s time to buckle up Mavs Fans and enjoy the DSJ ride!
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