EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The New Jersey Nets signed veteran free agent forward Joe Smith to a one-year contract and hired Milton Lee as director of basketball operations on Friday. Smith received the veteran minimum of $1,352,131, the team said. The first pick overall in the 1995 draft, Smith is joining his 11th team in a 15-year NBA career. He appeared in 64 games with Atlanta last season, averaging 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds. Smith has career averages of 11 points and 6.5 rebounds in 1,014 games with Golden State, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Detroit, Milwaukee, Denver, Cleveland, Chicago, Oklahoma City and Atlanta. His best season was in 1996-97 with the Warriors, when he averaged a career-best 18.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 blocks in 80 games. Lee will oversee the statistical and analytical efforts, while helping assistant general manager Bobby Marks with player personnel. Lee worked as a skills coach with several NBA players, including current Net Troy Murphy. He also served as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers summer league team in 2008 and 2009. He's been a consultant to the NBA at the past five pre-draft combines. http://www.nba.com/2010/news/09/10/joe-smith-nets.ap/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2 Awesome pick-up imo. Not only he is the perfect mentor for Derrick Favors, he is an decent big man for vet's min.
He fits New Jersey better than Scola. Scola would have kept Favors nailed to the bench. Smith can mentor Favors, and would only need 20 minutes a game.
Did he come out of retirement? I'm sure he meant to sign with the Heat and got lost somewhere along the way.
He'll probably play fewer than 20 mpg, but he's a great signing for them nevertheless. Like you said, he's a great mentor for Favors. He's also a good locker room leader and still an above-average post defender (who was once a very good post defender). Oh, well. There goes the guy at the top of my list to fill out the roster if the Rockets were to make a multi-player trade for a star.
Well, we know Joe must not be a complete scrub or else Clips/Roxfan would have started this thread instead.
Is the official sign that the Nets are not going to be good. Joe Smith - Kevin Mchale probably cannot even mumble the name. Rocket River
No. Smith is widely respected in league circles as a consummate professional who knows how to deal with "the grind". Give the guy credit. He came into the league as a young stud and had a couple of seasons putting up very good numbers. Unfortunately, he flamed out early as a "potentially dominant big man". However, rather than let it get to him, become a total bust and completely flame out of the league, Smith decided to focus on just "being a pro" and made himself into a top role player on a good Timberwolves team. He was a top notch post defender and a decent offensive player as well. Sure, he didn't turn out the way most people envisioned his career going in 1995. But Joe Smith is a respected NBA player who managed to carve out a very nice career for himself. And he's got a lot he can teach to Derrick Favors.
His first career points were against the Rockets in 95. I remember Bill Worrell saying " This kid is going to be a good one for a long time folks" .........
