Heezzi wrote:B8RcDeMktfxC wrote:JJP wrote:That's the thing. If the Mavericks draft Maledon over P. Williams, I would trust their judgement. This is not a case where I feel any need to defend my choice.
The last few drafts, I have felt the Mavericks have made the best call they can make. I thought Dennis Smith was the best player available in 2017.
In retrospect DSJ looks like a bad choice and the Mavs managed to shovel the hot potato on to the Knicks. Obviously he's been in a terrible situation coaching & playing time-wise there, but this year he mostly looked like not even ready for the G-league.
Looking down the list below him is disheartening. Obviously Spider and Bam at 13,14, resp, are way aways from anything DSJ could ever hope to be and John Collins, Jarrett Allen, OG Anunoby, Pasečņiks, Kuzma and White seem very hard to catch up to even if everything somehow miraculously changed. And frankly one could throw in Luke Kennard and maybe, for upside, Harry Giles and Malik Monk as well. That's a lot of missing.
Here's DeanonDraft (back when he was obsessive) hedging his bets as hard as he could and still coming up with nothing really to make you expect DSJ to thrive in the NBA.
deanondraft.com/2017/06/22/is-dennis-smith-jr-a-loser/
You have to keep in mind that DSJ was drafted to start next to Curry. Mavs drafted for fit while drafting the best available player. There was a log jam at SF/PF. They still had Barnes, Dirk, DFS, and Maxi.
Maxi was signed after DSJ was drafted. Dirk was obviously close to retirement.
The Mavs hoped DSJ would be a Detroit DRose, but the doubts that people had came (or at least have so far come) to fruition.
But its all water under the bridge now. That's fine - the draft isn't "solved" and every team drafts busts.
On a tangent: I dislike drafting for fit pretty strongly. Always draft the BPA - although that often means the one with the most value rather than the best basketball player per se (if that could be determined).