What?!? Till 2020? Detroit must have v v v desperate to want to do that. Why wouldnt they have just benched him and have DNP (CD) against hime and just keep him around as they are paying him anyways? He might feel so jacked at this that he'd buy out his contract, and Detroit get their money back. I'll go google Detroit's reasons now. Yikes.... http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/12/22/7434553/josh-smith-released-detroit-pistons-disaster says I hope it works out here.... otherwise, this could end in tears. Disclaimer : I do have $$$ on the Rockets winning it all.
I still fail to make sense of this Detroit's move. It's not like they are going to be relevant immediately next season. By stretching it they are in for a much longer pain. May as well eat it for one more season after this and trade it as an expiring contract.
It's none of the above for the Pistons that you mentioned (take it from a rabid Pistons fan). They did not want Smith around anymore period. If you think him coming off the bench would've went well you are kidding yourselves. DNP's would've made the situation a lot worse. We are talking 5 mil a year to pay a ghost. Big deal. Plenty of teams have overpaid bench players and oft injured starters make more or close to that. Plus, the cap is going to go up with the new TV deal. Now the Pistons have ample cap room for trades and FA's. No one wanted to trade for Smith. NO one! Good luck with him. He's best as a 3rd option, and that's exactly what he will be.
I think they'd tank more successfully with him onboard. From the same sbnation article, it says Puzzling decision, financially anyways. I'd have kept him on and told him to stay at home.
What numbers are they using? He was the 12th best SF by DRAPM last year and he's the 3rd best this year.
Kyle Lowry would have been so good for this team. With Smith though, this team could potentially be the best defensive unit in the league.
I just wanted to bump this thread to hear some of the folks who were down on this acquisition to eat crow. Here's what I remember being the reasons for NOT getting Smith. -Chemistry killer -Shoots poor 3pt % -Will take minutes away from Dmo -Poor basketball IQ Lets see some helping portions of crow. I'm looking at you DaDakota and Bobbythegreat, Dudewah, Liberon.....
He has been awesome for us lately. He is playing with a lot of poise and confidence. His focus is excellent. He has bailed us out in difficult situations, and he is fitting in very nicely with the rest of the team. Gotta give McHale credit too, for believing in Josh.
I was totally for signing him, but after his first couple of weeks I was seriously questioning it. He really turned it around after the Golden State game and on top of that he's been so valuable to have with all the injuries to TJones and now DMo (sigh).
Oh their credibility has taken a hit after how down they were on JSmoove, I don't know if I can ever take any of them seriously again
I was the driver of the "Get Smoove" bandwagon, but even I didn't think he was going to be this good for us. You take the good and the bad with him, but it's been a lot more good than bad so far. He's shootinh 3's at a perfectly respectable clip, he makes at least 4-5 great passes a game, and it seems like he genuinely enjoys being here. Turnovers are still an issue but he makes up for it. Glad he's here. Hope he re-signs.
I still find it hilarious DaDakota was so vehemently opposed to Smith because he thought he was a locker room cancer without any proof to back it.
At the $2M price point, there really isn't much to lose. Who else can you offer the money to and has a good chance to perform better than Smith had the potential to? To be fair, his play in Detroit was far from stellar, but at least he had a history of being useful and there are at least some good reasons to believe that his declining production was a matter of fit rather than of a dramatic physical decline. Smoth was no sure bet, but he was a better bet than available alternatives.
