The beginning of training camp has seen the re-emergence of Dennis Smith Jr. in front of the media. Smith Jr has opened up about the struggles he had faced during his turbulent season last year. We got to hear his thoughts on his new coach Tom Thibodeau, how he feels after the long offseason and his goals for both himself and his team for the upcoming season.
Smith Jr. had a tough season last year, playing in only 34 games and starting 3. His season was disrupted early when his step-mother passed away the week after the season had begun. The rest of his season was littered with injuries which see the time he spent on the side-line begin to build up. In his interview on media day Smith Jr. says he accepts what happened last year and that “It is what it is, you can’t change it.” He believes that the struggles he faced last year has helped him to become a stronger person and will use it to fuel him, “Smooth water never made a steady sailor”. Smith also believes that the long offseason has not just made him a better player but a better man, saying he was inspired by people before him that had taken a stand for what they believed in. Smith Jr. took part in demonstrations for Black Lives Matter along with fellow North Carolina celebrity J. Cole.
When questioned on his fitness Smith Jr. remarked that he was “100% healthy”. Smith Jr. averaged only 5.5 ppg and 2.9 asts last season with a shooting 29.6% from three last season which left much to be desired. But the former North Carolina State guard has been training with shooting coaches to improve his shot, noting that Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Keith Smart were great at what they did, which is a good sign that he believes he will be able to get his shot to fall this season.
On Coach Thibodeau, Smith Jr. revealed that he was familiar with the way that Thibodeau liked to coach from his time coaching in Chicago. There were many comparisons to Derrek Rose, who played under Thibodeau in Chicago, mentioned in the interview with Smith stating that while he and Thibodeau had talked about his time in Chicago and even Minnesota, the Rose comparisons didn’t really come up, but Smith Jr. did comment that “He definitely likes to use his point guards in his offense”
Smith Jr. and Rose did average similar numbers in their rookie seasons, with Smith averaging 15.2 ppg, 5.2 asts, and 3.8 rebs to Rose’s 16.8 ppg, 6.3 asts, and 3.9 rebs, and both being undersized guards who relied on their athleticism and explosiveness. Smith Jr. failed to find any consistency in the following seasons. He will be looking to show some signs of improvement and a return to form in the training camp when stakes his claim to be the Knicks’ starting point guard for the upcoming season.
The possibility that there could be no fans for another season is one that is important to Smith Jr. He understands that nobody wants to get to the league and play without fans, he warned fans about the danger of the Covid Pandemic and insisted that it was more important.
Can Dennis Smith Jr. improve and find some consistency next season and reclaim a starting spot in the team?
Check out CP’s reaction and breakdown of the Media Day interviews below.
