Charlotte Hornets’ Hail Mary on Dennis Smith Jr. paid off

Dennis Smith Jr. thought he was done with basketball. He told his agent that he would refuse to go overseas if his NBA career was done. Instead, he was going to set his sights on becoming a lockdown cornerback in the NFL. Smith even put on weight amid training for his occupational switch before the Charlotte hornets made the call to pick up the journeyman point guard.

This wasn’t supposed to be Smith’s story. He was one of the first mixtape high school superstars. The Fayetteville, NC native walking highlight reel took his overwhelming talent and athleticism to NC State. He led the Wolfpack on a snowy January day in 2017 to a win over Jason Tatum and the Blue Devils in Cameron. The first time State had won in Cameron since 1995.

It was sleepily unsurprising that he was a lottery pick. He went ninth overall to the Dallas Mavericks. Conventional wisdom at the time was that it would take a while for the Mavs to build around the young lead guard. He struggled with his jumper a bit (he shot below 40% from the field in his rookie campaign), but still had a season good enough to be a part of the All-Star slam dunk and Rising stars competition. Everything was on track.

A change in Dennis Smith Jr.’s career trajectory

Then Luka Doncic was selected in the following draft by the Mavs. Suddenly the team had two lead guards that didn’t complement one another as much as they competed for ball-dominant touches. After 32 games, Smith was traded to the New York Knicks in a trade that involved sending Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas.

Injuries and an inconsistent role would send him packing again. First, he was in Detroit. Then he was in Portland. Then, he was a periphery player, studying cover 2 coverages.

When his home state Hornets came calling, it looked like it might be more of the same. But an early injury to LaMelo Ball gave Smith more consecutive starts and more of a defined role than he had had in some time. Sure, Smith finally had a real opportunity to contribute to a team, but he took full advantage.

He has since turned into a crowd favorite. His energy is infectious. He’s quick to dive on a loose ball fumbled by the opposition. He is fantastic at blitzing opposing guards attempting to find daylight using a screen. And his career-high 1.4 steals a game show how well he hops into passing lanes to intercept the ball. He’s brought a football mentality to the hardwood.

He’s been solid offensively as well. His forays into the lane were crucial for drive-and-kick opportunities for his teammates. Smith had an 11-game start streak before an injury sidelined him. He averaged 6.5 assists a game over that span. Smith has proven this season that he belongs in the league.

Regardless of what happens next year for Smith (he signed a now-guaranteed one-year deal with the Hornets) he has shown himself to be more than a dunker. He has shown he can contribute. He’s shown he can be a plus defender on the perimeter. Smith likely isn’t in the two-minute warning of his NBA career—at least NFL quarterbacks should hope not.