I'm glad I don't have to eat crow ! I always wanted him but never imagined he would be this good and have such a positive attitude.
Haha it should be a lesson for those that think they know how an nba player personally handles situations. It was a low risk dirt cheap move from the beginning. Of course nobody would want j smith if he was being paid his real salary. That was the point
Yeah, Debbie Downer made it a point to show us he was head of that ship, just in case Smith did fail. He also kept repeating "BUT I will still root for him," just in case Smith worked out. DD wasn't fooling anybody. Cold crow is served.
I was vehemently against Smith when he was expected to be a foundation player making 14 million. But once he became a 2 million dollar role player he became a no brainer pickup. He has his problems, but he was always a tremendous talent. Even I have been surprised by his attitude. I never thought he would be OK coming off the bench playing 20 MPG, he genuinely seems happy to be here and willing to do whatever we need. Certainly hope we can find a way to keep him, but the prospects don't look great.
I don't see anything wrong with anything DD said and you made it out to be a personal attack. Smith was shooting terrible and wasn't playing well. These are pretty factual. It was purely speculation whether not he would fit in here. Luckily he does but there's no reason to attack someone based on their assessment. DD is knowledgeable about basketball and we loved brooks and Budinger.
I certainly didn't want him here and am very glad to have been wrong. I'd like to hear mario_v's opinion of Josh at this point in the season.
Even if you're right about josh Smith sucking, he was low risk. That's what the critics couldn't get. We didn't give up anything for him
I was excited, but I was also very worried he could've tried to come in and demand this '3rd superstar' sort of pecking order, and really wreak havoc on our team mojo. Instead he is completely humbled by the lucky turn of events that has allowed him to still get paid, get out of the D and into a sweet city like H-Town, play with his best man / best bud, and be with a tight group of talented dudes that can make some serious postseason noise. Pro attitude, winner attitude. Smith's natural abilities are truly shining in a Rockets uniform. A 'cant be taught' natural instinct and high basketball IQ, which translates to knowing when to push it coast to coast and vision to find open guys. Size, length. Knows how to use his size and length to drive. Shot blocking, rebounding. Handles. Incredible handles. Most bigs would foul out with charge calls if they tried to do what Smith does. Choosing the right 3s to turnaround his 3pt shooting. Nice post moves. He has the mental make-up to nail big shots when we need it. And he can totally demoralize opponents with those bone crushing dunks! I feel like I just can't say enough good things about him. I'm so glad he's here and we should feel very fortunate.
So Reeko was against Smooth coming here? Doesn't surprise me the least bit What's surprising is the ppl with the worst track records calling OTHER ppl trolls for their opinions. Thanks Reek
What is intriguing is that before joining us, he mentioned that he was not 100% and has been playing with a few injuries when he was at ATL. Wondering if he has fully recovered? If not, imagine what a fully healthy Jsmoove will look like.
Ya know it's strange to hit this thread, read the first entries, then remember it's 7/2014 start date. lol. ThatBoyNick, u nailed it. Welcome Home Josh !
Tell me something. Does it give you comfort when you bring yourself down like that? I mean does it put you in a place where you feel safe from disappointment? I hope so.
Perception can do a lot to destroy the reputation of a player. Smith getting cut was just making up for the mistake Dumars made.
This was my take, too. Unlikely that he stays, but who knows what the offseason moves will look like, he may end up back on a decent 2 year deal.
It's going to be a tough call on Josh to decide if he wants to sign a low one year deal ~2.5 mil and see what he can get in free agency during the 2016 mega cap space year or play the field this summer. On one hand, he is still just a few months removed from one team giving him almost 42 million dollars to just go away. Josh's reputation took a big hit and he was clearly not having much fun in Detroit after going for the money. Now in Houston; 1) he is in a very good situation 2) the team is using him up to his abilities 3) his reputation is rebounding big time 4) he seems to really like the situation he is in and gets to play with his best friend 5) he is on a contending team playing with a legit MVP type player. He might be more than willing to take a one year offer and go for bigger money in 2016 then anything he could possibly get this summer if for no other reason than to stay in a situation he is having fun and succeeding in. On the other hand, he will be 30 years old in the summer of 2016. He might think this summer would be the time to get another big contract in case his performance takes a step back next season. The most the Rockets can offer is ~2.5 mil and it only takes one Cuban to swoop in with a 10 mil contract to make him rethink how much he likes playing in Houston.
