Although coming off their 17th straight loss, the New York Knicks (10-46) move closer to snatching that top overall pick in this year’s draft. Despite this, they can still look forward to the remaining games. Newly acquired Dennis Smith Jr. has been a bright spot, averaging 17.4 points in his five games with the franchise– including a career-high 31 point performance against the Detroit Pistons.
https://twitter.com/nyknicks/status/1094074930726141953
To go along with his scoring, he has also averaged 6.0 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. Prior to being traded, Smith averaged 12.9 points, 4.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game with Dallas– all dropoffs from his rookie season. These numbers raised questions about if he was going ‘downhill’ or just unhappy where he was. The young guard seems to be adjusting to the Knicks’ fast-pace style, and although it is WAY too early to tell, he might just be exactly what the team needs.
The Jordan-Robinson Combo
As most know, the Knicks also acquired former NBA All-Star DeAndre Jordan from the Dallas Mavericks. Jordan has proven that he can still be a game-wrecker in today’s game, but most believe his main priority on the Knicks is to help develop rookie Mitchell Robinson. With the development of both Smith Jr. and Robinson, it almost reminds you of a young DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul tandem from their Clipper era. With Smith Jr. at the point and Robinson down low, this could be a very dangerous combo for years to come.
https://twitter.com/DraftLead/status/1095183908902260736
https://twitter.com/DraftLead/status/1092974486641627136
