Dennis Smith Jr. becomes youngest ever with debut double double
Is there a better way to start your career as an NBA point guard than writing your name down in the record books as the youngest player in league history to secure a point assist double double in your debut?
Well, winning the game would’ve been nice too.
Despite dropping a 117-111 nail biter to the Atlanta Hawks in the Mavericks home opener at the American Airlines Center, Dennis Smith Jr. put on an delightful display for Dallas fans. Smith exhibited exceptional passing IQ and refined scoring ability on his way to 16 points and 10 assists in his first game dawning Mavs white and blue.
Like a script out of Hollywood, the bouncy rookie floor general did what he does best and elevated off of a great screen and stuffed home a perfectly placed lob from teammate Wesley Matthews for the first field goal of his promising career.
The rest of the game was equally exhilarating showing for rook. When he wasn’t threading the needle on beautiful lead passes, Smith was penetrating the defense with his unique combination of strength and quickness and kicking out the rock to open teammates.
Smith’s performance flashed some of what made Derrick Rose so great before his catastrophic injuries and what continues to make Russell Westbrook elite among his peers. While it seems ludicrous to throw the unproven point guard’s name in the mix with NBA MVPs Rose and Westbrook after one game, perhaps the comparison won’t seem so insane when he becomes the first Maverick since Jason Kidd in 1994-1995 to run away with the Rookie of the Year Award.
