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Published on May 22nd, 2018 | by Landon Buford

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Dallas Maverick Rookie Guard Dennis Smith Jr. Makes All-Rookie Second Team

 

Courtesy of The Dallas Mavericks

The NBA announced today that guard Dennis Smith Jr. was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. It marks the second year in a row that Dallas has had a player earn NBA All-Rookie Team honors (Yogi Ferrell was named to the All-Rookie Second Team in 2016-17).

Smith (6-3, 195) averaged 15.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.0 steal and 29.7 minutes in 69 games (all starts) for Dallas in 2017-18. Among all rookies, he ranked fifth in scoring, 14th in rebounding, third in assists, sixth in steals and seventh in minutes. Smith ranked second on the Mavericks in both scoring and assists. He knocked down 106 3-pointers in 2017-18, the most by a Mavericks rookie in franchise history.

The ninth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft burst onto the scene with a historic performance in his NBA debut. He recorded 16 points and a game-high 10 assists in Dallas’ opener against Atlanta on Oct. 18, becoming the youngest player in NBA history (19 years, 327 days) to record a point-assist double-double in his NBA debut.

Smith racked up 142 points and 49 assists in his first 10 career games, joining LeBron James (168 points and 64 assists in 2003-04) and Kyrie Irving (166 points and 52 assists in 2011-12) as the only teenagers in league history to reach those totals in their first 10 career NBA contests.

 The former North Carolina State guard represented Dallas at All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, competing in both the dunk contest and Rising Stars game. In fact, he became just the third Maverick ever to compete in the dunk contest, along with Tony Dumas and Michael Finley.

At 20 years, 34 days old, Smith recorded his first career triple-double (21 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) at New Orleans on Dec. 29. He finished the season as the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double, behind Markelle Fultz (19 years, 317 days), Lonzo Ball (20 years, 15 days) and James (20 years, 20 days).

Smith’s triple-double began a streak of 23 consecutive double-figure scoring games for the young point guard (12/29/17-2/23/18). It tied the second-longest double-digit scoring streak by a Mavericks rookie in team history (Jamal Mashburn also scored in double figures in 23 straight games from 1/24-3/17/94 and Jay Vincent scored 10-plus points in a franchise-best 65 consecutive games from 12/3/81-4/17/82).

Smith finished the season with 15 20-point efforts and six double-digit assist games. His 15 20-point outings were the fourth-most by a Mavericks rookie in team history, behind Vincent’s 53, Mashburn’s 37 and Mark Aguirre’s 20. Jason Kidd (22 in 1994-95) was the only Dallas rookie to record more 10-assist games.

Smith becomes the ninth Maverick to earn NBA All-Rookie Team honors. In a talented rookie class, the Lakers’ Ball, Sacramento’s Bogdan Bogdanovic, Atlanta’s John Collins and Phoenix’s Josh Jackson join Smith on this year’s NBA All-Rookie Second Team. The 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie First Team consists of Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons, Utah’s Donovan Mitchell, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, the Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma and Chicago’s Lauri Markkanen.

 

MAVERICKS NAMED TO ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

Dennis Smith Jr. – 2017-18 (Second Team)

Yogi Ferrell – 2016-17 (Second Team)

Marquis Daniels – 2003-04 (Second Team)

Josh Howard – 2003-04 (Second Team)

Jason Kidd – 1994-95 (First Team)

Jamal Mashburn – 1993-94 (First Team)

Roy Tarpley – 1986-87 (First Team)

Sam Perkins – 1984-85 (First Team)

Jay Vincent – 1981-82 (First Team)


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