This game represented quite a departure for Dennis Smith Jr.: instead of doing everything in the fourth quarter, he did NOTHING in the fourth quarter! You might think that this is a negative, but it totally isn’t. In fact, this is a significant milestone in his development. Now that he’s proven beyond reasonable doubt that he can perform at a high level in the first three quarters, there’s nothing stopping him from doing that every game, while adding in his usual fourth-quarter heroics!
I am so excited for Dallas right now. They’ve got a guy who’s going to be in the dunk contest, they’ve got a… Doug McDermott, yeah, and I think Dirk is still pretty cool. And no more Devin Harris! I know I should like him because of what a solid savvy vet he is, but I just don’t. Deal with it. Him being gone means more minutes for Smith Jr., which is definitely something that needs to be happening as the Mavericks tank away the rest of the season.