Brad Broadstreet
Published Oct 8, 2023 • Last Updated: Oct 25, 2023
On Sunday the Denver Dinosaurs acquired G Michael Smith for G Harvey Baker and two draft picks. As Denver was 26th in the league in PPG allowed last season, it's no wonder, that they saw a match in the 24 year old combo guard.
Smith, 24, is a dogged defender who rates as one of the better defensive guards in the league. With Derek Bennem, who played a lot of 2 guard last season, the Dinos could feature a formidable defensive backcourt tandem next season. In addition to defensive presence, the newest addition to Denver is a fine passer. Smith averaged 5.6 APG last year on a struggling Jackals squad. It's expected that he will continue to improve as part of a revamped Denver team, especially given Smith's friendship with franchise icon Josh Briggery.
The question remains, however, what are the team's plans for starting PG Matt Stockman. Stockman has been with Denver since 2019, but struggled somewhat last season, turning in his worst 3 point shooting performance since joining the league. While the veteran guard remains a competent defender, scorer and facilitator, some in the organization were convinced it was time to move on from Stockman. Whether a trade market develops for Stockman or he slides into a 6th man role remains to be seen. As a starter, Stockman was found to be lacking last season. Perhaps this was a fluke as he's still just 29. As a backup, running the second unit off the bench? He could be a formidable weapon for a team with playoff aspirations.