The Official 2020/21 NBA Thread

Smith Jr., 23, is quietly utilizing his time with the Detroit Pistons as a path to NBA rehabilitation, and has embarked on his most productive stretch in two years. Since being traded from the New York Knicks (along with a second-round pick) last month in exchange for Derrick Rose, Smith Jr. has played in 11 games, including six consecutive starts. Though the Pistons are just 4-7 during that stretch, and 2-4 in Smith Jr. starts, it’s par for the course in a season where the team is 10-25, last in the Eastern Conference, and 6.5 games out of the 10-seed and final play-in spot. In other words, it’s the perfect team for Smith Jr. — who is headed for restricted free agency this summer/fall — to showcase himself.

In his last five appearances, DSJ has averaged 11.8 points, 5.8 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game in just 25 minutes per contest. He’s also shooting well for him at a nice 44 percent clip over his last five games. In last night’s blowout 129-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors alone, DSJ dished out 11 assists, the most he’s had since February 24, 2019 (a 130-118 Knicks win over the San Antonio Spurs, by the way).


deadspin.com

Dennis Smith Jr. is quietly reviving his career in Detroit

Let’s first acknowledge that Dennis Smith Jr. is not all the way back yet. He’s not even shooting 40 percent from the field this season. But even if he’s not back to where he was as a top-10 prospect coming from the 2017 NBA Draft Class, he’s far above where he stood toward the latter half of...
deadspin.com deadspin.com
 
TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley will miss Turner Sports’ scheduled NBA All-Star Game coverage on Sunday to attend his daughter’s wedding on Saturday, marking only the second time since joining Turner that he has been absent from the mid-season festivities. Dwyane Wade is scheduled to fill-in. [“NBA on TNT” 3.4]
 
Ironically enough the Clippers probably need him more than anybody....he would be a nice pick up as a backup 5
 
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