Dennis Smith Jr. had a strong rookie campaign with the Dallas Mavericks. He ended the season with averages of 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.8 rebounds on 39.5% shooting. His shooting percentages could have been better, but this is a common struggle for rookies in the NBA.
Moving on to this year, he is averaging 13.6 points, 3.9 assists, and 2.8 rebounds on 43.9% shooting. His numbers do look a bit worrying because they’ve gone down in multiple categories, but could this be an effect of a decreased role on a better team?
Last season, DSJ played almost 30 minutes per game which was good for 3rd most on a team where he was relied on for scoring and playmaking.