The New York Knicks have hired Tom Thibodeau as their next coach. He will have his hands full of a list that lacks talent and contains many question marks about their young core. One of these players is Dennis Smith Jr., who has done very little since he was sold to the Knicks. This could be a decisive year for the young point guard.
Smith Jr. averaged just 5.5 points last year, a career low and an 8-9 point drop from his previous campaign. One thing that hurt him was his health: he lost many games at the beginning of the season and never recovered.
In the last training camp there was a buzz about the fact that DSJ seemed keen and ready to take on the job of initial playmaker. Fast forward to this summer and his role in the organization is uncertain. He played only 34 games and an average of 15.8 minutes per night for a team that won only 21 games.
The most noticeable weakness was his lack of confidence in his jump shot, which made only 30% of his three and shot 34% from the field as a whole. It was evident that he seemed lost and without trust. On too many estates he would have let the air drip from the basketball or drop the available throws. The tools and skills are there for him to be a productive NBA player, but he may need another offseason to regain that confidence.