Executives from at least 10 NBA teams, including a representative from the Knicks, were at North Carolina State on Thursday for Dennis Smith Jr.’s pro day.
Though the 6-foot-3 freshman point guard is projected in the mid-lottery in most mock drafts, Smith’s longtime trainer told The Post that talent evaluators will be eyeballing the most talented player available in the June 22 draft.Shawn Farmer, the garrulous 48-year-old trainer who played eight seasons overseas, believes Smith has gotten a bum rap from the Wolfpack’s miserable season. He said scouts don’t take into account the diligence Smith showed in making it back from an ACL tear that cost him his senior year of high school.
“The kid is the best player in the draft — hands down,’’ Farmer told The Post in a phone interview Thursday. “No disrespect to Markelle [Fultz], no disrespect to Josh [Jackson], no disrespect to Lonzo [Ball]. I’ve seen all the kids play. It’s not being biased. Dennis Smith is the best player in the draft — the most upside of anyone in the draft. You can print all of that.’’
Nine days ago, Smith arrived in New York and met with Knicks president Phil Jackson for a dinner, but never worked out on the court. According to Farmer, it was “an agent thing.’’
“It’s not like Dennis didn’t want to work out,’’ Farmer said.
With the pro day scheduled for the following week — the Knicks were represented Thursday by college-scouting director, Mark Hughes, who recently interviewed for the Hawks’ general manager job — they skipped an on-court, solo workout (Jackson prefers group workouts to run through the triangle).
The Knicks wanted Smith, because he skipped the Chicago combine, to take measurements and a medical exam during his visit, according to Farmer. Smith’s reps declined. However, Smith did some drills in a workout last week for the Lakers, reportedly logging a 48-inch vertical jump, tied for the highest recorded in NBA history. On Thursday, Smith performed shooting, pick-and-roll and dunking drills. Jackson still interviewed Smith, whose leadership was questioned as a freshman as he led NC State to a 4-14 record in the ACC, second-worst in the league.
“From what I hear, they did have a good meeting,’’ Farmer said. “I know Dennis respects people who came before him. He respects what Phil Jackson’s done with Michael, respects what Phil did with Kobe and Shaq and all those title teams. Dennis is a student of the game. He has a lot of respect for Phil and his accomplishments.’’
Playing in New York is an opportunity Smith would embrace, Farmer said, despite the Knicks’ four straight seasons out of the playoffs.
“He got a taste for New York at the ACC tournament,’’ Farmer said. “He loves being the underdog, don’t like be the front-runner. He’s been the underdog his whole life. New York is considered the underdog organization now. Before they were a prominent organization. Lately they’re underdogs. Who wouldn’t want to play in New York and bring them back? That was his mindset going to NC State.’’
Smith’s journey is well-documented. He tore his ACL in August before senior year in an AAU game. He graduated high school a semester early so he could enroll at NC State in January 2016 to begin his course load and finish his rehab with NC State’s medical staff.Nothing gets Farmer’s goat more than negative critiques that Smith didn’t make his teammates better and that his attitude contributed to a losing environment. NC State’s coaching staff was fired in February, though Mark Gottfried and his assistants finished out the season.
“Totally unfair,’’ Farmer said. “How can you say that about a kid who tore his ACL, been out a year. rehabbed, came into major a conference like the ACC, put an entire university on his back? He did a great job of keeping poise, composure. He didn’t fire back on teammates or coaches. He handled the situation as good as anyone. They didn’t have a good season the year before.
“They labeled him as not being a leader. What else did you want the kid to do? Two triple doubles, led the ACC in assists and that Duke game was a statement game.’’
Smith was named ACC Freshman of the Year after averaging 18.1 points and 6.2 assists per game. Smith put up 32 points and six assists as NC State won on the road at Duke in January.
“People have no idea how this kid worked back, how hard he attacked his rehab,” Farmer said. “I picked Dennis up off the floor after he tore his ACL in LA. I was right there when his doctor told him it was 99 percent torn. He didn’t get down on himself. He attacked it.
”A lot of people don’t know what went into coming back from a devastating injury like that. It could’ve been catastrophic. Mentally, it could’ve been catastrophic. And he’s still being labeled. ‘Can he lead a team, his decision-making?’ That’s what a leader does. A leader is somebody who is behind the scenes, when media like you guys don’t see, [and] prepared himself to be 100 percent when he went to NC State.’’
Farmer gives Smith’s father, Dennis Smith Sr., the most credit for getting his son to this point – a week from his name being announced as an NBA lottery pick. Smith’s mother left when he was young. Farmer said the elder Smith drove his son four days a week from Fayetteville, NC, to a Duke sports medicine facility and jogged with him on the track “every step of the way’’ during his recovery from the knee injury.
“The dad attacked the rehab as much as Dennis,’’ Farmer said. “Nobody gives Senior credit. They talk about Mother’s Day. No disrespect to moms, but Mother’s Day you can’t get into a restaurant. Father’s Day? You can get in anywhere you want. We don’t get enough credit. I’ve seen what he’s done molding a professional basketball player.’’
