You can tell a player they will have a legitimate chance to compete for the starting spot. With every other playoff team rumored to be seriously interested, there was virtually no way he would be competing for the starting role no matter how he played. Over Dirk, or Zbo, or Blake Griffin, ect? Only Miami could promise something similar or more and it's hard to imagine them as serious contenders. I will say that the rumored promise to start was one of my few concerns though.
Random Stat: In 17 career h-2-h matchups vs Josh Smith, LaMarcus Aldridge has shot 50% only 7 times; and scored 25 or more twice Safe to say that if the Rockets had Smith last year, that they would have beaten Portland. I haven't checked everybody, but I'd say that Smith plays Aldridge really well.
That series was so close that literally anything would have changed the outcome of that series. They would have beaten Portland if Lillard hadn't made that low percentage shot, the Lin turnover, Aldridge just played the way he has played in 98% of games in his career, etc
Can someone explain to me why Josh Smith is in a contract year? I thought Pistons cut him with 2 yrs left on his contract? Was the final year a team option?
He was cut, and he will be receiving a stretch provision for the next 6 years(cap hit will be in the 5 million range per season for Detroit). He will be free to get whatever he wants at the end of this year or next if he decides to go with the player option. My assumption is that he will just kill it with the Rockets in his role and resign after the Rockets make a huge run in the playoffs.
I think the teams defensive changes this year would have won it for them had they played that way last year. I felt that Parsons didn't try hard enough on D due to him focusing on the $=offense! Harden was just being a lazy b*stard who apparently has enough pride to fix things in order to save his own legacy.
Just watched the Rockets interview with Josh Smith... He looks like he's been doing cocaine or some horrible drugs.
Wow, quick to judge. He looks like he always has to me except bulkier. Although he didn't seem as excited as Brewer to be here haha
He's just recovering from living in Detroit, Michigan. Have you seen what SVG looks like nowadays? The city is cursed. It's like the One Ring, turns Smeagol into Gollum.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Josh Smith's No. 5 jersey is ready to go in the Rockets locker room. (via <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets">@HoustonRockets</a>) <a href="http://t.co/DCN3usIv8q">pic.twitter.com/DCN3usIv8q</a></p>— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/548609587424002048">December 26, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Not playing with the Christmas jerseys?? Is the 26th only official in Europe, we call it 2nd christmas day (not original, but still official lol)
