Dallas Mavericks: Don’t let Dennis Smith Jr. in your pick-up game

Dallas Mavericks starting point guard Dennis Smith Jr. showed off his incredible talents in an open gym video including some monster dunks.

The Dallas Mavericks and their fans are excited about the upcoming season.  A big reason for optimism is the improvement of Dennis Smith Jr. in year two.  He was the starting point guard last season, but the Mavs need to be more efficient on offense to leap into playoff contention.

DSJ dominates a pick-up game

Smith Jr. has been working diligently on his game, though.  Check out the video here released on Aug. 17 courtesy of Ballislife to see DSJ dominating.

Smith Jr. is truly an outstanding athlete and he unleashed some out of this world dunks in the video.  He also knocked down some jump shots which is a huge positive.  Clearly, you should never invite him to your pick-up game, though.

Working on his jumper

Smith Jr. shot just 39.5 percent from the field last season.  That included 31.3 percent on 3-pointers.  His foul shooting was not much better at 69.4 percent.  DSJ needs to play more efficient basketball.  His jumper looked better in the video, but playing against non-NBA talents can be deceiving.

The additions of Luka Doncic and DeAndre Jordan should help too.  Doncic will give him another ball handler and floor spacer on the court.  Jordan will set screens and allow DSJ to get to the rim a little easier in pick-and-roll situations.  DJ also is one of the best lob targets in the NBA.

Dennis Smith’s shooting is a one of the big stories to watch in the preseason.  He needs to improve and take his game to a higher efficiency level for the Mavericks to make a significant leap in the standings this season.

Final thoughts

Dennis Smith Jr. dominated an open gym and a video surfaced to get fans excited for the upcoming season.

Hopefully, Smith Jr. returns to the Slam Dunk contest this season because his hops and dunking ability are just indescribable.

On-court improvements are an expectation from DSJ, but the level could determine the Dallas Mavericks postseason fate this year.  Expect him to play over 30 minutes a game as the starting point guard.  His production will be the deciding factor.

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