Knicks' Dennis Smith Jr. gets help in reshaping his point guard role

Madison Square Garden was not a safe space for Knicks’ guard Dennis Smith Jr. last season, often subjected to the boos of the home crowd as he and the team struggled through another lost season.

But when the Knicks debuted the 2020-21 version of the team Wednesday night at home there were no fans allowed in, instead the arena was pumped full of recorded cheers and the boos left for the opposition, the Cleveland Cavaliers. It provided a respite for Smith for much of the night as he attempts to resurrect his role with the team after last season’s struggles.

After a rough start offensively, Smith picked up his play and provided a spark, not with his usual high-flying highlights, but instead by doing the things that soothe the soul of his new head coach, Tom Thibodeau, by simply playing harder on the defensive end. With Smith getting it started and the Knicks youngest players picking it up and completing it, the Knicks overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Cavs, 100-93.

The Knicks finished the game by outscoring the Cavs 21-7 with that five-man group that featured rookie Obi Toppin as the oldest player in the group alongside fellow rookie Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson. But Smith, who hardly has been recognized for his defensive intensity, helped turn the game with five steals in addition to his eight points and four assists.

"I think the big thing was our defensive intensity picked up," Thibodeau said. "We got energy from that, we got stops, we got into the open floor. I thought Dennis got us going with some good pressure. When Quick came in that changed it some more.

"That’s how we have to play. Sometimes when you get going with your defense it’s funny the energy that it brings to your offense. And then all of the sudden a couple of shots go down and things are good for you offensively. Obviously, you want to play your best in the fourth quarter. And so that was a good sign. As in every game, we’ll take a look at the film. You want to see the good film, but you want to see what you do better. Tomorrow’s a big day for us, very important."

Last season, Smith’s first start-to-finish campaign with the Knicks after coming over from Dallas in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, he played in just 34 games - starting three - as he dealt with nagging injuries and was lost for a stretch when he returned home to North Carolina following the sudden passing of his stepmother.

His play on the court suffered as he struggled through the worst shooting season of his career (34.1 percent overall and 29.6 from three-point range) and his minutes plummeted to just 15.8 per game. Still a highlight-reel type of athlete, he never was able to grasp the intricacies of playing point guard.

This summer he spent time working with former NBA star Mahmoud Abul-Rauf on his shooting and spent time with the Knicks’ new coaching staff to try to master the task of leading a team on the floor. But the results in the first two preseason games have hardly been anything that would convert the fans to his side. He was 1-for-5 Sunday in the loss to the Detroit Pistons and was a -15 in his 16 minutes and 30 seconds of action.

More than just the numbers though, he seemed panicky on the floor when Detroit pressured him and Knicks fell apart around him Sunday. The problems continued early Wednesday as he turned the ball over, did little to get the offense moving and provided little scoring. But he at least showed life defensively, something he struggled to do last season.

"I think the task of the point guard remains the same," Smith said. "Put pressure on the ball, put pressure on the defense as much as I can. Keep setting guys up. It’s an adjustment. We’re a really young team. It’s gonna be times when people aren’t sure where to be. And as a point guard you have to understand the playbook and orchestrate things."

Smith has worked overtime with associate head coach Johnny Bryant, who came over from Utah where he helped Donovan Mitchell, who was drafted four spots behind Smith in 2017, achieve All-Star status.

"He just got a wealth of knowledge, on both ends," Smith said. "He just understands the game so well and he studies it so much. It’s little things that he’ll show me and I’m just like, I can’t help but smile because I’ve never thought of it like that. I’m like a sponge. I listen to everything he’s saying and I try to put it into the game and be effective with what I’m learning. I’m appreciative, man, he’s always willing to give out game so I listen as much as I can."

Notes & quotes: Austin Rivers (groin) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (illness) remained sidelined for a third straight game. Frank Ntilikina (sore left Achilles) and Nerlens Noel (sore left knee) were also held out with what Thibodeau called precautionary measures to allow him to see other players. Alec Burks was also out for personal reasons.

By Steve Popper

steve.popper@newsday.com@StevePopper

Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.