Superstar comparisons for the NBA's young guns

#4 Dennis Smith Jr. - Russell Westbrook

Dennis Smith Jr (L) and Westbrook (R)

A vertical that could range anywhere from 40 to 44 inches? Check. Straight line speed higher than nearly every point guard matched up against him? You got it. A style of play heavily reliant on fast, twitchy movements and relentlessly attacking the paint? Double check. The one new-age point guard who can challenge the likes of John Wall and Westbrook from an athletic standpoint is Dennis Smith himself.

Dennis Smith Jr was one of the most hyped point guard prospects from the 2017 NBA draft. Drafted #9 overall by the Mavs and believed to have fallen too low according to a lot of experts, Smith went on to carve a place for himself on the All-Rookie Second Team with averages of 15.2 points and 5.2 assists.

His shooting percentages, however, left a significant amount to be desired. To be fair, he did average 36.8% shooting on catch and shoot opportunities, but one of Westbrook's only genuine criticisms is that he isn't a good shooter and should rein in his 3-point attempts. Perhaps playing alongside an elite distributor as Doncic has shown all the signs of being will improve him as a shooter.