I know I am not the first one to suggest the Mavericks reunite with former first-round draft pick Dennis Smith Jr., nor am I the first to report that the organization seems to actually be interested in doing so. I also know that it’s kind of becoming my thing to get fired up about the Mavs rehabilitating the careers of former lottery point guards. And I know by the time I finish typing this, Nico Harrison will have signed someone else, and as long as that someone isn’t Pat Beverley, I will have to shake my head and acknowledge that was probably the smart move. Harrison is on a pretty good little streak of smart decisions, so he has earned that much.
That said.
On the court, DSJ fits in perfectly. I mean, ideally he’d be a better three-point shooter. But in the right lineup, he wouldn’t really need to. He’s another ball handler and connector, and the offense is at its best when there is at least two of those, if not three. Maybe Quentin Grimes can help there. But they definitely need someone now that Josh Green is off to Charlotte, and while Smith is not the starting-caliber point guard they had hoped they drafted, he is a top-shelf backup: a good and willing passer who is a very solid finisher when he’s off the ball.
But really he just needs to be somewhat useful on that side of the court, because defense is where he really shines. If you haven’t been paying attention since Smith left Dallas, he is a lockdown defender now, one of the best-defending guards in the entire league. Stats, eye test, however you want to judge it.
So far this offseason, the Mavericks have replaced Derrick Jones Jr., Tim Hardaway Jr., and Green with Grimes, Naji Marshall, and Klay Thompson. On paper, it’s probably close to a wash, since Hardaway fell out of the rotation and Thompson is a better shooter than all three even if he was playing in a walking boot and jeans. The biggest question remaining is whether the bottom would fall out of the Mavs’ point-of-attack defense with Thompson and Grimes taking Jones’ minutes. DSJ would ensure that it won’t.
In the locker room, it’s another snug fit. Former coach Rick Carlisle did his best to put across the idea that the team wasn’t big enough for Smith and Luka Donicic, and that Smith was to blame, that he was jealous. But nothing could be further from the truth. They were—and are—friends.
Not that the roster needed shoring up, on a vibes basis. By the time the Mavs fell to the Celtics in the Finals, it would be hard to find a tighter group of guys. A real family, and not in the sense of a company saying “we’re a family” so you feel better about getting kicked in the jeans. Kyrie Irving helped sell Thompson on the Mavs with that idea.
They’re not starting over, but they are integrating a few new family members, which is never easy, even if one of them shares your disdain for Devin Booker. It wouldn’t hurt to have another friendly face around. And it’s never a bad thing to surround your franchise player with more people he likes, especially when it makes the team stronger. I hate to use a technical term, but that is something in the business we call a “win-win.”
Off the court? Well, we can finally bring these two back together. And I’m sure the Pappadeaux on Oak Lawn misses him. Bring DSJ home. Jumbo crabs are on me.
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