LeBron James says Dennis Smith Jr. should have been a Knick: 'Dallas got a good one'

LeBron James has high praise for the rookie point guard in Dallas

LeBron James and the Cavaliers cut it a little close against the Mavericks on Saturday night. They needed James to make some clutch plays toward the end to seal the victory. Part of why that was necessary, however, was due to rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr.

Smith finished with 21 points, seven assists, and five rebounds in the loss and that caught the attention of James. After the game, James gave Smith praise while also criticizing one of the teams that passed on him in the draft. The New York Knicks, who chose to go with Frank Ntilikina instead, received his criticism. 

LeBron James says Dennis Smith "should have been a Knick" and "Dallas got a good one."

— Tim Cato (@tim_cato) November 12, 2017

LeBron says he knows he'll "make headlines" with that comment but chides the Knicks anyway for passing on Smith with the No. 8 pick in June

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 12, 2017

It's rare to see James take a shot at an opposing franchise for who they chose to draft, but everybody also knew the Knicks were looking at point guards. Dennis Smith, thought by many to be one of the better guards in the drafts, would have been a great choice for them. However, New York at the time was being managed by Phil Jackson and still expecting to run the triangle. They chose to go with Ntilikina who, in the Knicks' defense, has not been a bad choice.

Smith has been a bright spot on a struggling Mavericks team. He's averaging 14.2 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.6 rebounds a game.