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Here’s What Dennis Smith Jr. Brings To The Charlotte Hornets

By James Parker

PORTLAND, OREGON - DECEMBER 12: Dennis Smith Jr. # 10 of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on prior to a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Moda Center on December 12, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - DECEMBER 12: Dennis Smith Jr. # 10 of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on prior to a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Moda Center on December 12, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) /
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The Charlotte Hornets made arguably their biggest move of the offseason on Wednesday by signing free agent guard Dennis Smith Jr. to a one-year deal.

NBA fans across the world were shocked by this move as most believed that the backup point guard for LaMelo Ball would be Isaiah Thomas or Kemba Walker, both of whom have much more experience than Smith Jr.

Some fans actually expected the Charlotte Hornets to sign a veteran player given that this Charlotte Hornets team is so young and has no real playoff experience. While Smith Jr. may not have much playoff experience, his star potential could be unlocked with the franchise of his home state.

After having a phenomenal freshman year at N.C. State University, Smith was drafted as the 9th overall pick in 2017 by the Dallas Mavericks. His rookie year with Dallas remains as the best year of his career so far after averaging 15.2 points, 5.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 29.7 minutes per game.

Since then, injuries, trades and a lack of significant development have caused his overall production to plummet. Many seem to forget that he is only 24 years old and has a lot of upside. So, let’s take a look at what exactly Smith Jr. brings to the Charlotte Hornets.

What will Dennis Smith Jr. bring to the Charlotte Hornets?

High defensive potential

Last season, the Charlotte Hornets struggled significantly on the defensive end. In fact, they ended the season as a bottom 20 team in the league in opponent three-pointers made, opponent three-point percentage, and opponent points per game. While Smith Jr. may not have a huge impact on those numbers, he may be able to boost the perimeter defense enough to affect the outcome of games.

Smith Jr. may have his offensive struggles, but he’s shown spurts of high effort perimeter defense that he can further develop while with the Charlotte Hornets. His athleticism and lateral quickness should result in high defensive potential. Although he hasn’t been able to maintain this defensive effort over a long period of time just yet, if he works hard and is willing to learn from the coaches and training staff, he has the potential to become a well above average perimeter defender.

Backup pick-and-roll creator

Smith Jr. averaged 6.2 assists per game in his one year at N.C. State, which is not elevated purely by volume. Assuming he is now the backup point guard for LaMelo Ball, it will be important for him to be an above average playmaker.

He has proven to be able to navigate pick-and-rolls rather well while being able to put the ball in the basket on the drive or create open looks for his teammates.

As a primary ball handler in college, he showcased his ability to use a hesitation move on a pick-and-roll in order to let the play develop and find out if the big man will be open or if the defense crashed, giving him an open look, not to mention that his high athleticism causes defenses to crash when he drives down the lane, letting him kick it out to an open teammate in the corner or on the wing.

Serious shooting upside

Dennis Smith Jr. is not necessarily known for his stellar shooting outside of the paint. This doesn’t come as a surprise considering his commendable shooting splits from college have not yet translated to the NBA. Still, we’ve seen worse shooters become snipers after some getting serious NBA minutes and offseason work.

As a slightly undersized guard at 6’1″, improving his outside shot would cause his value to skyrocket given the already insane athletic ability that he possesses. His jump shot could use a little tweaking but we have seen streaks of hot shooting from him in the past so his main goal now should be improving his shot to the point that he is no longer streaky and has the ability to hit outside shots at a high rate even with high volume.

Can Dennis Smith Jr. revive his career with the Charlotte Hornets?

Smith Jr. may have had a rough start to his NBA career, but maybe the Charlotte Hornets are the team where he can truly find his footing and become the star that many of us expected him to become.

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