Dallas Mavericks: Dennis Smith Jr. says no to dunk contest this season

Dallas Mavericks starting point guard Dennis Smith Jr. told reports at media day on Sept. 21 that he would not participate in this season’s dunk contest.

Dallas Mavericks point guard Dennis Smith Jr. took part in the Slam Dunk Contest last season.  Fans and experts alike favored him to win given his tremendous leaping and highlight-reel dunking ability, but a lackluster first slam cost him.  DSJ scored a perfect 50 on his second attempt, but was eliminated him from the competition by the cumulative scoring.

Smith Jr. went on to average over 15 points and five assists per game a rookie.  He put in a ton of work this summer and fans are excited to see what the 20 year old brings to the court in year two.  The basketball community did not love all the news out of Mavs media day on Sept. 21, though.

DSJ out of the dunk contest

Dennis Smith Jr. was asked about returning to the Slam Dunk Contest in his sophomore season and here is what he had to say courtesy of a Tweet from Tim MacMahon.

Given the dunks fans saw this summer, Smith Jr. sitting out of the dunk contest is a small letdown in what should be an exciting season for the Mavericks.

The champ is upset too

Fans are not the only ones upset, though.  Reigning champ Donovan Mitchell took to Twitter to say this about DSJ sitting out of the competition.

Final thoughts

Dallas Mavericks starting point guard Dennis Smith Jr. told reporters at media day that he will not take part in the Slam Dunk Contest this season.

That does not mean he will not be a part of All-Star weekend, though.  Smith Jr. should play in the Rising Stars game and could participate in the Skills Challenge.  The Mavs could have both Luka Doncic and DSJ taking part in those events in what could be a fun All-Star Saturday night for their fans.  Stay tuned for plenty more as we get closer to events.

Coach Carlisle was also extremely complimentary of Smith Jr. on media day.  That could mean a massive season is ahead for the second-year player.  Keep an eye on DSJ this preseason and see if you can recognize the improvements from the young man.

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