[Outside the Box] Post Bosh Plan A - Get Josh Smith, Then Match Parsons

Hold up, I know what you think of Josh Smith. Bad shot selection, horrible FG%, etc. However, he is the best PF that we can realistically get if we can't get Love. Most of our other options are either RFAs (Bledsoe, Monroe), require trades (Love, Rondo), or old players that don't really fit (Deng, Gasol).

Reasons for Josh Smith:

1) Elite defender - Highest defensive win shares 2 years ago at 4.9, with defensive win shares of 5.1, 4.5, 4.9, and 4.5 his last 4 years in Atlanta. He was used as a SF in Detroit, which did NOT work, so I'd look at this past year as an aberration.

2) Athleticism - We are a heavy fast-break team and he's still only 28, so he'll be in his prime for at least 2 more years.

3) Versatility - He can sometimes slide in the SF spot.

4) Spacing - Yes, he didn't shoot 3s that well in his career. But who did he have in ATL and Detroit to give him wide open shots? If Chris Bosh can develop a 3 point shot, Smith can do the same. He doesn't need to shoot 40%; just 30%+ to at least be a threat to open up spacing.

5) Potential to Improve Efficiency - He took a LOT of bad jump shots. However, he'll be 4th option here, and Morey/McHale will preach only 3s and shots in the paint. This will improve his efficiency, so he'll actually be a positive contributor on offense in Houston.

6) Contract/Cap Situation - He signed a 4 year deal at $54 million last year. So, with 3 years and around $40 million left, it is an absolute steal in this market. We can get him and still match Parsons in time.

7) He's absolutely available (and basically free) - The Josh Smith experiment was an epic fail for Detroit. I bet they'll take a draft pick for us to take him off their hands.

8) We'll have room for Troy Daniels, still have Jones, and don't waste any other resources.

9) Trades in the future - Even if it doesn't work out, we can also trade him in the future along with other assets. He has positive value here. If Parsons can get $15 million+ and Hayward can get $16 million+, Smith at $13-14 million per is fantastic value.

Line up:

PG: Bev/Johnson/Cannon
SG: Harden/Daniels
SF: Parsons/some defender
PF: Smith/Jones/D-Mo
C: Dwight/Morey can work his magic here.

Bottom line: Josh Smith is easily available due to his bad year in Detroit and is a great fit for the Rockets.

 

It's actually at least average, if not a steal in this market. 3 years left at $40 million with no player option.

 

What skills does he need to develop? He will have a better 3 point % in Houston due to Howard and Harden, and better shot selection. If he only shoots 3s in practice, you'd think he can get it to at least 30%. We don't need him to shoot 5 threes a game. He just needs to be a threat and make WIDE-OPEN 3s. Also, it seems like he always got crap for his shot selection in Atlanta. Well, he was the 1st or 2nd option. Of course he needs to carry the team and shoot. He'll be the 4th option here, so all those dumb shots will be gone.