Detroit Pistons draft targets: Guard edition

2 of 6

Jan 29, 2017; Louisville, KY, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) dribbles the ball against the Louisville Cardinals during the first half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports /

Dennis Smith | PG | 6’3” | 19 years old | N.C. State

Stats last season: 32 games, 34.8 minutes, .455 FG%, .359 3P%, .715 FT%, 18.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.4 blocks per game
Draft range: 5-10, will most likely not be available
Why he fits in Detroit: Smith’s aggressive, explosive and attacking nature on offense would work perfectly alongside a rim-runner like Andre Drummond. The Pistons would also covet his ability to create offense for himself and others.

Dennis Smith’s stock has been all over the place. At the beginning of the college basketball season, he was talked about with the likes of Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball as a consensus top three, four or five draft pick. Then, it dropped a bit as his N.C. State team struggled and Smith fell in most mocks to the 8-15-ish range. Since April/May, it’s steadily climbed back up into the 5-10 range. But, still, it’s not inconceivable that he falls to 12, so I felt inclined to talk about him here.

Smith showcased his ability to facilitate an offense in his one year at N.C. State, where he made the All-ACC second team and won the ACC Rookie of the award. His score-first mentality was on full display as he ran the show for Wolfpack.

Smith’s biggest strengths are his physical gifts. He’s an explosive athlete, with speed, burst and leaping ability that jumps out at you. Plus, he’s very physical. Combined, this gives Smith an ideal skill set to create as a rim attacker in the NBA — one that would pair perfectly with a rim-runner like Andre Drummond.

While Smith has excellent form on his jumper, he too often settles for tough shots; and while he showed flashes of being an excellent facilitator, he was selfish far too often. His other oft-cited criticism is something Piston fans are all too familiar with: inconsistent effort levels. It’s hard to tell if this came as a result of the lack of talent around him or if it’s true nature.

Still, if he were to somehow fall to 12, the Pistons would be nuts to pass on somebody with Smith’s upside, especially as they continue to taut their “best player available” approach.