Early Reviews of Houston Rockets' Josh Smith Experiment Are Lukewarm
The Houston Rockets had a unique opportunity around Christmas time this season. The team acquired Josh Smith from free agency, for a relatively cheap price, to add to their shaky depth midseason.
Smith was released by the Detroit Pistons after a 5-23 start in Motor City. Management decided they'd rather pay J Smoove $35 million to leave instead of let him stick around as the team continued to struggle. As it turns out, the Pistons have been on a tear ever since and went on to win the next seven games in a row upon his departure, but this article is from the Rockets' point of view.
Coming into the season, Houston was expected to take a step back. Even with James Harden and Dwight Howard running the show, the Rockets lost a lot of key pieces this past summer. They traded away Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, and they decided not to match Chandler Parsons' offer sheet with the Dallas Mavericks.
Despite these losses, the Rockets still managed to compete among the top teams in the league. Houston shot out of the gate with a 6-0 start and kept up the strong performances to get to a 19-5 record, thanks to one of the top defenses in the league and an MVP-type season from the Beard.
However, even with the solid record and improved chemistry, general manager Daryl Morey, being the guy he is, decided to make some moves. The team had persisted all year long despite several key injuries, but Morey knew the bench needed some adjustments before the postseason.
The Rockets first traded for Corey Brewer, a great defensive wing and a perfect fit in the system, and also snagged Alexey Shved in the deal. A few days later, when Smith cleared waivers, Houston added a third new piece to the roster.
A lot of people questioned whether Smith would be a good fit with the Rockets. He seemed like a bad fit at first glance, with his style of play conflicting with the Rockets' focus on efficiency. Smith has been hounded in past years for his reckless habit of launching mid-range jumpers and not playing to his abilities.
Houston, however, decided that a guy with his talent was worth the risk, with the hopes that he would buy into the system and eliminate his bad tendencies. So far, we've seen a bit of both sides of the spectrum from Smoove.
The Smith-Rockets relationship got off to a spectacular start. In his first game, Smoove helped the Rockets grab a big overtime win in Memphis over the grit-and-grind Grizzlies, temporarily putting Houston in first place in the Southwest division. Smith put up 21 points and eight rebounds off the bench in his debut.
But it wasn't perhaps as glorifying as it seemed. Smith scored his 21 points on 21 field-goal attempts, which was as many attempts as Harden and Howard combined that game. Even though he had great numbers in a winning effort, clearly there was some work to be done.
After the big win in Memphis, the Rockets went on to lose three of the next four. Smith moved from the bench to the starting lineup for those games, but he didn't score in double digits once and shot under 30 percent during that span. What once looked so promising turned into a total disaster just a few games later.
After the worst stretch of the season for Houston, coach Kevin McHale moved Smith back to the bench. "You can’t play basketball when you’re thinking and funky," McHale said. "He has to get where he’s comfortable. He felt more comfortable with that second team."
Things turned around when Smoove returned to the bench. He has provided a spark with the second unit. Besides, with Smith on the bench, Donatas Motiejunas has been able to continue his breakout season in the starting lineup.
What was once a weakness for the Rockets has turned into a strength. Smith has not become the third star that Houston was looking for, but his contributions off the bench have been a huge complement to the team.
Smith brings a lot of skills to the table at 6'9". He is an underrated passer with exceptional court vision. He also contributes on the defensive end with sound mechanics down low and incredible blocking ability because of his athleticism.
There's no doubt that Smith possesses the talent to succeed with the Rockets. His biggest problem so far has been consistency. He has really good nights when he makes contributions across the board like in his first game against Memphis, but he also has some forgettable nights too. For example, in a tough road game at Golden State, Smith only managed to score five points before getting tossed for arguing in a blowout loss.
Overall, Smith's reviews are lukewarm for good reasons. Since acquiring Smith, Houston has a 10-7 record. Before he arrived, the Rockets won 20 games before losing their seventh of the season.
Granted, Houston has several issues going on that are unrelated to Smith. The Rockets have had several ongoing injuries, and they have some nights when the effort just isn't there. They go on shooting slumps and love to relinquish double-digit leads or dig themselves a hole and get down early. Like with every team, Houston has some problems and has gone through a bit of a rough patch as a result.
However, even though it's easy to blame Smith, it's really not even remotely his fault. The truth of the matter is, when Smith comes in the game with the second unit, oftentimes the Rockets do better thanks to the spark off the bench. Smith's overall plus-minus rating as a Rocket is plus-39 through his first 17 games.
The team still needs time to develop chemistry with each other. Players need experience on the court with each other before they can play their best basketball. Even though Smith and Dwight are childhood friends, jelling together at the NBA level is a whole different story. Also, Smith is still getting acclimated to the Rockets' system.
Houston's focus on efficiency means Smoove has had to change his style of play. The Rockets rarely take any mid-range jump shots, but that has been a big part of Smith's repertoire in the past, whether his coaches liked it or not. Now, Smith has to limit his shots from that area, and from beyond the arc as well.
Even though Houston launches more threes than anyone, Smith is just a 27.6 percent career shooter from deep. He should primarily keep his shots in the paint while attacking the basket. Smoove is at his best when going downhill towards the rim.
Smith may not be a huge X-factor for the Rockets in the arms race taking place out West. However, he definitely has improved the team's overall depth because of his talent on both ends of the floor. Houston may not be done improving the roster, and whether Smith returns next season remains to be seen, but for the time being, Smoove has been a pleasant midseason boost for the Rockets.
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