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Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Smith Jr. has been through plenty of ups and downs throughout the course of his six-year career. Smith Jr. came into the NBA as the ninth overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft out of NC State and while he came into the league with a lot of promise, his tenure in the Association has taken a different path.
Smith Jr., 25, signed a one-year deal with Brooklyn this offseason to potentially be the backup lead guard to starter Spencer Dinwiddie. What the native of Fayetteville, North Carolina brings to the Nets is different now than what he would’ve brought to the table six seasons ago.
Smith Jr. came into the league as a scoring guard who had the ability to set up his teammates for easy scores. Now, after he has bounced the league, Smith Jr. feels that his best way to remain relevant is to embrace his ability to impact the game on the defensive end of the floor. In recent comments made to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, Smith Jr. explained that he is in a different place in his career:
“Way different. I’m mature, I got better every year, I learned something every year. I’m thankful for everything that’s happened to me since I’ve been in the league because I wouldn’t be the player or person I am today. So it’s like night and day, damn near.”
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