New Mavericks draft pick Dennis Smith Jr. recently sat down with 105.3 The Fan's Ben and Skin Show for an interview. Here are some highlights.

Describe your game

"I think I'm a pretty good pick-and-roll player. I've been working on all of the reads, and I'm getting better at making the correct play out of those reads. Pick-and-roll offense spread out is perfect for me. Especially running it with a guy like Dirk [Nowitzki] and even Nerlens [Noel]. And I think it's going to work very well. We're going to complement each other, me and the offense."

Carlisle called you "hit-first player" when he drafted you. Is that a fair assessment?

"That's definitely fair to say. I'm a competitive guy. I hate to lose more than I like to win. I believe that translates over to basketball. So whatever it takes, I just hit first. I'm all for it."

Did you think you were going to be picked up before the Mavs drafted you at No. 9?

"I thought I was going to, because I had worked out with a couple of the top-five teams and other teams before 9. So me falling to 9 was a surprise, but I'm thankful for it. I've embraced this city, this city has embraced me, the fans and the coaches. I think it's a great thing falling to 9."

Did you really gain vertical after an ACL injury in high school?

"I gained eight [inches]. My sophomore year I was jumping 40, and now I'm jumping 48. And that was the last time I had it measured."

How's relationship with fellow Mavs point guard Yogi Ferrell?

"Of course everybody heard about what he did last year, it was phenomenal. But I didn't know him personally prior to getting to Dallas. Yogi is a great guy. He's super competitive, and I think we're going to push each other and make each other better."

What are your hobbies?

"I hang with my family, friends and watch movies, TV series, play video games, just simple things. But I'm still 19 years old, so I just enjoy being around my friends."

What's your favorite video game?

"I used to [play Madden], can't nobody beat me in there, so I don't really have the opportunity to play no more. ... So it usually ends up being 2K or Call of Duty."

What's your everyday approach to life?

"I believe -- even from feedback from the other people, and it's way I was raised -- I'm just very respectful. And with respect, you've got to have some humility, so I mix that in there. But I'm super confident because I work. I'm very confident in myself but I'm also humble and respectful of everyone. I treat everyone with the same level of respect. That's just me, that's how I am, that's how I was raised."

Craziest thing you might do with new money?

"Nothing crazy. I'm just gonna probably take all my homeboys out to eat whenever they get in the city. That's about it."

What's your cooking like?

"I'm huge on [soul food] because I'm really a country boy. We're used to all the soul food: collard greens, turnips, all of that. My grandma is really big on that. Almost everybody eats it."

You know you can't get away with that in the pros, right?

"I'm preparing for it slowly but surely. ... That's definitely one of the big things. In high school, you can eat whatever you want. It's kind of like that in college, but I know in the NBA you've got 82 games a year, so you've really got to watch what you put into your body."