Why Josh Smith's Injury Shouldn't Detract from an All-NBA Season

Josh Smith was forced to leave Game 2 of Atlanta's series against the Boston Celtics with a knee injury after battling with Kevin Garnett beneath the basket.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported the initial diagnosis as a sprained patella ligament in Smith's left knee. If the versatile forward is forced to miss any time, it's going to be a huge blow to the Hawks' chances of getting past the Celtics in the first round.

The Hawks are already dealing with injuries in the big man department. Al Horford (torn pectoral) won't return in the first round. Zaza Pachulia (foot) has been out since before the regular season ended, and the earliest he might return is Game 5.

Let's not allow ourselves to be distracted by Smith's injury. Yes, it would be a horrible blow for Atlanta if the Hawks were forced to play without him, but the Hawks wouldn't even be in this spot without what he's done for this team.

Before the season began, Smith found his name swirling in trade rumors. In June, Wojnarowski reported that the team had "started to gauge interest" in the forward around the league, and Smith wasn't "averse" to the idea.

One of Wojnarowski's league sources was quoted as stating "the relationship has run its course," referring to the dynamic between Smith and the team.

Things have certainly changed, haven't they?

When Horford went down in early January, there was a popular belief that the Hawks season was all but over. Few thought that a trio of Smith, Joe Johnson and Jeff Teague could carry this team without an interior presence.

Wrong.

This has been about Smith and his maturation process as a player. This season, Smith has defined himself as a standout power forward in the league.

We've seen flashes from him before, but never something like this. We've often wondered why Smith has been plagued by inconsistency, but that question didn't present itself this time around.

Smith has been the glue that has kept this team together.

That's a major role reversal for Smith.

He's always been a very talented player, but being asked to play a lead role has brought out the best in him.

Although he shot just 45.8 percent from the floor (a product of his increased role in the offense), Smith posted career-high averages of 18.8 points and 9.6 rebounds.

But he did much more than that. Nobody should be overlooking what Smith does on the defensive side of the ball.

Smith's 1.4 steals and 1.7 blocks per game is an impressive feat, and it stands out even more in Smoove's case considering how much he had to do on the low block.

Frankly, it's hard to understand why Smith doesn't get more consideration from many for an All-NBA team selection.

Here is a comparison of the Smith's season with Blake Griffin's, who many believe is a natural selection for All-NBA honors:

Smith: 18.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.5 TO, 1.4 steals, 1.7 blocks, 45.8 percent shooting, 21.14 PER.

Griffin: 20.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.3 TO, 0.8 steals, 0.7 blocks, 54.9 percent shooting, 23.50 PER.

Those numbers really aren't all that different.

Some might read into the field goal percentage differential and point to that as an area where Griffin separates himself from Smith, but that is a product of Griffin's unbelievable athleticism around the rim and the shots he gets in Los Angeles' offense.

Smith's role in Atlanta's offense was very different. It's not an excuse for Smith's percentage, but it's worth noting because it's about far more than just reading where each player differs on the stat sheet.

For a forward that came into this season with a ton of uncertainty, nobody is questioning where he belongs right now.

Smith deserves far more attention than he's been receiving.