In surprising news this morning, the Detroit Pistons decided to part ways with forward Josh Smith. The team requested release waivers on the forward and right off the bat there was speculation that Pat Riley and the Miami Heat would be interested in bringing the talented forward to Miami.
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That speculation was then echoed by Marc Stein, of ESPN, that the Heat would indeed be in the race for Smith’s services.
Was just advised that the Miami Heat are also joining the race for Josh Smith
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 22, 2014
Houston would appear to have a decided financial advantage over the field with a $2M exception to offer and Dwight Howard as lead recruiter
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 22, 2014
Yet you'd have to say that Miami would certainly have minutes to offer as well as Pat Riley's long history of helping guys rebound rep-wise
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 22, 2014
As Stein points out, the Miami Heat would figure to be the place where Smith could potentially receive the most playing time. With Josh McRoberts likely done for the season, the Heat suddenly have an opening at the starting power forward position and need to infuse talent into that spot somehow. As it as, the Heat’s best trade asset would be Norris Cole, which is not a very good trade chip. So a free agent signing might be their best bet.
Smith is well-known to be one of the more talented players in the league. He, however, lacks the basketball IQ to go along with that talent, which has held him back from being able to reach his true potential. He often falls in love with the long 2-point or even the 3-point shot, even when they are not falling for him.
Adding Smith to the fold would ease the burden on both Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade offensively, but he could probably help the team on the other side of the ball as well.
He can slash and drive as well as anyone in the league and has the ability to create open shots for his teammates. Smith has a good reputation in terms of his defense throughout the league, though most of that comes on the heels of his athleticism.
Before signing with the Pistons after the 2012-2013 season, Smith was a rival of the Heat, playing with the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged 17.5 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 4.2 ASP, with a 17.82 PER for the Hawks in 2012-2013. His best season came the year before, when he put up a 21.14 PER.
In 2014, Smith is experiencing his second straight season of lackluster play. In his career, Smith is a 46% shooter, but that number has been brought down by his 41% shooting in a Pistons uniform. Although it is very encouraging he’s not chucking up three 3-pointers a game, like he was last season.
Some other not so encouraging statistics about Smith, courtesy ESPN Stats and Info:
Josh Smith was on pace to be the 1st NBA player ever to shoot below 40% FG & below 50% FT while taking at least 12 shots per game.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 22, 2014
Josh Smith has a true shooting pct of 41.7%, last among qualified players. Last year, he was also last (46.3%). He made $13.5M both seasons.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 22, 2014
Since 3-pt line was introduced in 1979-80, Josh Smith has the 2nd-worst career 3-pt FG pct (27.8%), min. 1,000 att. pic.twitter.com/sVpFLAqHHy
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 22, 2014
At 29-years old, Smith is now closer to being out of the NBA than being an annual all-star he was with the Hawks. His lack of focus at times and frustration he brings to a coaching staff, cannot be denied.
Even with that, Smith could be a worthwhile investment for Riley and the Heat. The team is without a ton of talent and the defense has been terrible for most of the year. Adding an athlete like Smith could help on the defensive side of the ball, as well as bring a potential offensive piece that can be a volume scorer, if he stays away from those long-shots he’s prone to fall in love with. A front-court of Bosh-Smith-Deng, along with a back-court of Wade and Chalmers, would give fits to teams on both sides of the ball.
The risk factor with Smith will be minimal, as it was with Michael Beasley and Greg Oden. The Heat could offer him Smith only the minimum NBA contract for veterans, as he’ll still be collecting his $13.5 million from the Pistons for the 2014-2015 season. If the Heat are granted a disabled player exception for Josh McRoberts, they could offer Smith a one-year deal worth half his salary, or about $2.65 million for the rest of the year.
With him making near the minimum regardless, the Heat won’t carry a major burden if for some reason he does not pan out and the team decides to part ways.
Yes, Smith will come with some baggage to Miami, but the Heat could go into this relationship with minimal risk, but could reap the high reward of adding a motivated, all-star caliber player.