Josh Smith?

[JohnnyMax]

[TampaDude]

That graphic says it all. Josh Smith really was a two-ton anchor around the necks of the Pistons. Just...wow...

[benefactor]

We've got the MLE, I'd take him at $3m for the rest of the season.

He's no worse a headcase than Stephen Jackson and Pop was happy to bring him back and waive him when necessary. Exactly the same for Smith, I don't see much downside unless we expect a better player to be waived for whom we should save the MLE.

He would make them better because he'd obviously come off the bench for those teams. Come on now.

I understand all the reservations expressed here, but I still think most contenders are gonna take a shot at this considering how high reward/low risk it is potentially.

I don't put such supreme faith in SVG that I think his failing proves Josh Smith is unsalvageable. I put far more faith in Pop and Chip than that fattie, he's got his hands full with that whole mess of a team and it was just his first year in Detroit. Someone like Pop or Thibs could shake something of value out of Smith, and if not, bench/cut him.

I'd be on board for trying with the MLE.

Josh Smith has sucked for the last 2 years in Detroit, but his RAPM numbers pointed to him as elite in previous years. When his head is 57% screwed on, as it was in Atlanta, He is/was really good. He hasn't been that guy this year, as a Kobe system player with a worse shot that Kobe has, but he'd still probably be an upgrade on a roster spot from Daye.

Best case for Daye is that he has 1 good game out of 10, rides the bench and is happy.

Smith might partially recapture Atlanta form, and that guy could play in the Weird Diaw/big/Manu/Marco/Mills lineups as the second big. He has the passing skills to fit in.

We can use him, we need some juice with the lackluster play of us this season after winning the le...

Yes I have and he's better than Ayres, Daye and Bonner. But again, he isn't a fit for this team but may be a nice add for a contender off the bench.

Wouldn't be the first head case the team signed. Dudes talented and knows how to play the right way, even though he usually doesn't
. What more do you want from a min guy?

Typical ST when asked if a former all star can join the team...

"No thanks."
"Nope, he's not European and soft"
"No he's black and can get his own shot"

.... We have Jeff Ayres, Matt Bonner, Austin Daye, and a declining Diaw. Wtf you mean we don't need a backup PF? Josh Smith still plays defense and rebounds. Josh Smith is a guy we can play when the Big 3 is out, he won't be a starter in the playoffs so chill the out. We have the full MLE, and he's not a bad 3rd/4th big if Chip Engelland can work with him.

7-0

[100%duncan]

7-0

I don't know, could've gotten the guy for the minimum and if he ed up waived him right away. Not defending anyone esp Smith since he's a basketball player but yah you get the point.

[Mr Bones]

If a coach just sat Smith down and told him he absolutely could not shoot threes anymore, it would improve his game significantly. Tell him if he shoots a three, he's out of the game, period. I'm not a fan of his game at all, but it's mind-boggling that he is 1. still allowed to put up threes at all, and 2. still too stupid to realize he shouldn't shoot them.

[Mr Bones]

Monroe is unrestricted. He can sign with any team he wants, and that likely will NOT be Detroit. There is a really poor track record for players who accept their year 5 QO signing with their previous team. There's usually pretty bad blood from two years of failed extension/new contract negotiations.

I agree-- generally that's true, but word last summer was that Monroe's agent was trying to get Detroit to trade Josh Smith because Greg didn't like him as a teammate. Monroe later denied those rumors, but I'm guessing that was only for diplomatic reasons... so if Smith was in fact the main reason for his unhappiness there, maybe this becomes a different case, especially if he views it as the Pistons making a big move specifically for him.

[Malik Hairston]

If a coach just sat Smith down and told him he absolutely could not shoot threes anymore, it would improve his game significantly. Tell him if he shoots a three, he's out of the game, period. I'm not a fan of his game at all, but it's mind-boggling that he is 1. still allowed to put up threes at all, and 2. still too stupid to realize he shouldn't shoot them.

you really think Smith has never had a coach tell him to stop shooting 3s?

[Mr Bones]

Tell him if he shoots a three, he's out of the game, period.

you really think Smith has never had a coach tell him to stop shooting 3s?

Obviously not a coach who really laid down the law.

[jeebus]

Get him for the minimum, why not

[stephen jackson]

damn this really sucks huge balls
and i loved him in atl, dude is a black hole

[ducks]

Lol

[exstatic]

damn this really sucks huge balls
and i loved him in atl, dude is a black hole

He always has been. Atlanta let him walk, and with essentially the same team, minus Smoove, made the playoffs the next year. Don't believe the NBA media hype. Most credentialed NBA media are dumb as posts.

[Mr Bones]

Since Smith changed teams:

Rockets: 9-7

Pistons: 12-3

Before the change:

Rockets: 20-7

Pistons: 5-23

[BillMc]

[Mr Bones]

Turns out it hasn't been a "low risk" move for the Rockets, as so many here said. It might cost them HCA in the first round of the playoffs.

[Mel_13]

Since Smith changed teams:

Rockets: 9-7

Pistons: 12-3

Before the change:

Rockets: 20-7

Pistons: 5-23

[hater]

[Mr Bones]

Good signing for a team that needs a PF at minimal risk..

His numbers in Detroit are largely irrelevant, as that team is severely lacking in talent, so I wouldn't judge him on that, but rather on style of play and history..

It's a great move for Houston regardless, they have nothing to lose, especially if Jones doesn't return..

If Josh Smith adds value to a team, why didn't Detroit improve at all after he went there? They were 29-53 they year before he got there, and had the exact same record in Smith's first season, in the weak eastern conference. They improved slightly the year before Smith got there-- and with a young Drummond and Monroe, doesn't it make sense that they'd get at least a tiny bit better with a new athletic defender? If anything, he was so bad that he negated the growth of Detroit's young players to put them back at 29 wins. That's why I think adding him only appears attractive, but is actually a case of subtraction instead of addition.

If a coach just sat Smith down and told him he absolutely could not shoot threes anymore, it would improve his game significantly. Tell him if he shoots a three, he's out of the game, period. I'm not a fan of his game at all, but it's mind-boggling that he is 1. still allowed to put up threes at all, and 2. still too stupid to realize he shouldn't shoot them.

you really think Smith has never had a coach tell him to stop shooting 3s?

you really think a player who has disobeyed his coaches literally hundreds of times is a "good signing" and a "great move?"

[Malik Hairston]

you really think a player who has disobeyed his coaches literally hundreds of times is a "good signing" and a "great move?"

Why don't you quote my other Josh Smith posts? I said he's a bad player on the decline..I also said he's not as good as Terrance Jones, too..cherry-picking quotes..

It's still a good signing for Houston, they barely paid anything..

[exstatic]

Why don't you quote my other Josh Smith posts? I said he's a bad player on the decline..I also said he's not as good as Terrance Jones, too..cherry-picking quotes..

It's still a good signing for Houston, they barely paid anything..

If I pay $1 for 10 lbs of rotten hamburger, I haven't paid much, either. I also haven't gotten value.

[Malik Hairston]

If I pay $1 for 10 lbs of rotten hamburger, I haven't paid much, either. I also haven't gotten value.

Sure, but the Rockets were never a legit contender(especially with a declining Howard), they wanted to take a low-cost risk on somebody that could have potentially elevated them(which I didn't believe, as you could see in all my anti-Josh Smith posts)..I don't see the problem with taking the risk..

They also had/have the Terrence Jones question mark, too..he's been suffering from a mysterious injury for months now, they could have viewed Smith as nice depth..

I feel the same way about Rondo(as I repeated when the trade occurred)..he sucks, but I understand why the Mavs made the move(they didn't lose much, either)..

[Mr Bones]

Sure, but the Rockets were never a legit contender(especially with a declining Howard), they wanted to take a low-cost risk on somebody that could have potentially elevated them(which I didn't believe, as you could see in all my anti-Josh Smith posts)..I don't see the problem with taking the risk..

They also had/have the Terrence Jones question mark, too..he's been suffering from a mysterious injury for months now, they could have viewed Smith as nice depth..

I feel the same way about Rondo(as I repeated when the trade occurred)..he sucks, but I understand why the Mavs made the move(they didn't lose much, either)..

I guess I'd say adding a "bad player on the decline" who single-handedly made the Pistons much worse, and consistently makes bad decisions, and is seriously lacking in maturity is the problem with taking the risk. The Rockets were the #2 seed in the west when Smith arrived, and are now #5. They've gone from a 20-7 team (.740) without him to a 9-7 team (.560) with him. Since adding Smith, they've lost home court advantage. I'd say that's a risk that isn't paying off, regardless of the price.

[Malik Hairston]

2nd thread in a week about a washed-up, former All-Star that can't shoot..

- Why are there people that keep mentioning Ayres and Bonner? Josh Smith isn't going to accept a role as a 4th big, what the ?..he's known as a cancer with a massive ego, that has always been the case, you believe he's going to join a team where he's going to be a 4th ing big man? He's not going anywhere where he doesn't receive a prominent role

- Statistically, Josh Smith's only significant impact is defensively, where he has been a high-impact player for his entire career..offensively, he has had some decent seasons, but has been on the downside the past few years, especially as the NBA has evolved to reward shooting ability and stretching the floor..

The concern with his defense is that it is on the decline(statistically), which is expected for a 29 year old(and came out of High School IIRC, so more mileage) that relies entirely on athleticism for his impact on the floor..

- Josh Smith hasn't played for a top 15 offense since he was 24 years old(at his athletic peak)..he's not the same player..still a good passer, but doesn't have any other offensive talent, nor does he have any significant ability to explode past defenders, at this point..a 29 year old player that relies entirely on athleticism and can't shoot the ball is not going to be effective..

- The Pistons releasing him is a sign that he's either a cancer(which has been argued in the past), or that he's so bad that no other team was willing to trade anything for him

- So, sure, in a dream world where Josh Smith accepts a role as a 4th big that only plays defense and rebounds, he would be perfect for the Spurs..however, this is reality..

He's going to end up with a team that can give him big minutes and a prominent role, or at least a contender that will give him 30 MPG+ per night..the only fringe contender that would do it in the West is Houston IMO, since Terrence Jones' status seems doubtful, and while that would be a big plus for their defense, it would kill their spacing and mass-3s strategy..there's nothing scary about Josh Smith..

Maybe the Clippers if they can promise him 30+ as a 3rd big, since both teams will desperately need defense in the playoffs and Rivers probably believes he can get to him, but again, there's nothing scary about going against a 6'9 big man with no post game or shooting ability..

A ty team like Sacramento makes the most sense..

overrating washed-up scrubs, tbh..

[DrunkTXLabrat]

If I pay $1 for 10 lbs of rotten hamburger, I haven't paid much, either. I also haven't gotten value.

10 lbs of rotten hamburger could be fertilizer.

[Malik Hairston]

Damn, my Great Yacht was fiending for Josh Smith in a Spurs uniform, tbh..ugh..