Dallas Mavericks Outlook: Over/Under on ESPN Projections?

By Paul Wang

Oct 9, 2017

DALLAS, TX - MARCH 7: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks high fives with a fan after the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 7, 2017 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 16: Dennis Smith Jr. #1 of the Dallas Mavericks handles the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers during the Semifinals of the 2017 Las Vegas Summer League on July 16, 2017 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2. Dennis Smith Jr.

"FG% FT% 3PM REB AST STL BLK PTS 2016-2017 Statistics — — — — — — — — ESPN 2018 Projections .397 .715 0.9 3.0 3.7 1.1 0.2 9.1"

Let’s play a guessing game. How many points is Dennis Smith Jr. going to average? Yeah, you know, the Rookie of the Year favorite with a 48-inch vertical.

Well, according to the “worldwide leader in sports”, Junior is about to average…9.1 points on 39.7% shooting.

That. Is. Ridiculous.

Those are worse stats than Malcolm Brogdon had in his rookie season! With all due respect to Brogdon, who has proven to be a serviceable NBA player, Dennis Smith’s skillset and physical talents are on a completely different stratosphere.

There is no such thing as a surefire rookie, but Dennis Smith has all the makings of a dynamic scorer and playmaker. Although it may take some time for him to reach superstar status, it would be a colossal disappointment (and surprise) should Smith Jr. fail to reach double figures in his rookie year.

Verdict: OVER

Next: Dirk Nowitzki