Are We Witnessing the Emergence of Josh Smith?

[TheDude]

His really good games are starting to become more frequent. And his ability to cover all areas of stats is becoming much more consistent. I'm overreacting I know but he's starting to put up some really good point totals. It's a little quicker than I expected honestly. When you're hitting all areas of stats and THEN you really start turning it on scoring wise, well.......

Could we be seeing Josh Smith, the draft pick, becoming Josh Smith future all star?

[Weez]

more than anything, and granted I haven't been able to see many of the recent games, but his ASSIST totals jump out of the screen at me.

his best 'emerging feature' by far. Truly impressive.

[exodus]

It actually started before the All-Star game when he had that monster game against the Lakers.

His 3 pt shooting is what has really caught me by suprise. He is 15-34 from 3 this month and has hit key 3s at the end of tight games. He hit a 3 with a minute left in ot against the Magic. They won by one.

He seems to be focusing on certain areas and maybe neglecting areas that he is already good at. For example when he drives he hardly ever looks to dunk, while last year he was always looking to dunk. Here lately he also looks a little to unselfish at times, but I am fine with that because it shows he is trying to be a complete player.

The last few games he hasn't been going for blocks as much as he normally does. he had been picking up so many bogus foul calls that I think he is getting a little gunshy.

[HawksFan87]

I think we are but when he does DUNK, he still makes you say did he just do that, but I like the way he is coming along right now SMOOVE and JJ are our 2 best players ,without a doubt CHILLZ is doing the little things that he always does but .SMOOVE If he contiunes to grow as a player he is going to eventually become an all-star with the talent he has the SKY IS THE LIMIT for him man.

[Weez]

we REALLY missed Chillz during his absence. that much is evident from the boxscores.

dude does so many little things it's not hard to ration why we didn't win a game with his being out.

[joannes3000]

Just by looking at his numbers and how he's been producing when the game is on the line, yes we are definitely witnessing the emergence of Smoove. Even better things should be on the immediate horizon next year and it can only get better once we shore up the defense with a big down low and/or a guard opposite JJ.

[Lascar78]

Quote:

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right now SMOOVE and JJ are our 2 best players

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oh come on, al harrington is EASILY better than Josh Smith at this point

19/7/3 is better than 10/6/2/2 no matter how you look at it

[thesheedera]

Unless you subscribe to the thought that while Al does more good things to help th team, he also does more bad things to hurt his team. If the bad outweighs the good, I'd vote for Josh too. I haven't been able to see nearly enough lately to make a judgement on that one.

[thesheedera]

Josh CAN develop a Vince Carter game. Vince came into college thinking he was all-world and believing his dunks would make him a star. Dean Smith quickly taught him that a selfish, cocky, lazy, one dimensional player would sit on his bench, no matter how good a kid he was, or how talented he was. Vince struggled as a freshman, turned it on as a sophomore as he learned to play the team game and play defense.

It took him two years struggling to understand how to use his talent for the betterment of his team. As a rookie he looked like an all around polished player, and his first few seasons in the NBA he improved his range and passing. That series against Iverson in the playoffs made him look like one of the greatest of all time.

I don't like how he handled the last season in Toronto, but I do like that he's been an all around excellent player in NJ. At 19 or 20, what did Vince Carter have that Josh doesn't have right now?

Not a damn thing other than Dean Smith in his ear and a better handle.

Josh has the advantage of more experience in the NBA, and probably an inch and a half and lot of additional muscle mass.

I know we have a glut opf small forwards and I love Marvin, but I'd rather both of them become sensational small forwards than one of them have to settle on being a decent power forward. At the very least you maximize their trade value letting them excel at the position they are best at.

[Nicholasp27]

what you aren't understanding yet is that Smoove is better at pf than sf...his defense is better, he scores more, he blocks more, he rebounds more, he's more efficient, his per is better, his +/- is better, everything

[Nicholasp27]

15.8/14/1.7/5.8 per on .472% eFG% with 7.7 fta when pf

15.8/9.4/3.4/3.5 per on .451% eFG% with 3.8 fta when sf

i don't think we have to worry about smoove becoming only a 'decent pf'

[swolehawk2]

Wrong, Josh Smith is easily a better defender than Al and Smoove's defense still is not where it should be...not even close...Smoove is our ONLY player that plays any type of defense in the lane....give Smoove the shots that Al gets and he avgs between 17-20 pts a game.

Al is overrated by many....and has turned into an jump shooter.

If I stand around on D...then go to the other end and hit a jump shot how does that make me a good basketball player.

[thesheedera]

How is that defined? Are those numbers representative of the minutes he plays as a PF, a low post player? Or are those taken from minutes where by default, he is assigned the PF position because there isn't another one on the floor?

Could he be racking up PF stats playing a perimeter game while he's on the floor with Ivey, JJ, Childress and Zaza?

Or is it more accurate than that? Just because no one else on the floor is the PF doesn't make him a PF.

[Nicholasp27]

that's defined by when he's playing the pf position on the team (ie when al is center or al is injured or al is on the bench)

his defense is visibly better when pf than sf...he doesn't have to leave an open man on the perimeter to go for the weakside block, etc...he held brand to one of lowest point totals of the season guarding him 1-on-1, he did a fine job against other star pfs as well

rebounding, blocks go way up when he's playing closer to the basket

his only weakness at pf is his low-post game, which he'll improve once al is gone...and i'd hardly call an ak47 clone playing pf a 'decent pf'

[thesheedera]

Okay, I will agree that on the defensive end he is the PF when there's no one else to guard the other team's power forward.

But that doesn't mean on the other end he's banging on the low block.

My Vince comparison has more to do with offense than defense.

Both are big pieces. Ideally we have a team where every player can guard at least 2 positions effectively, and Josh has the potential to do that and maybe more.

[Popeye]

That would be awesome if Smoove can play Pf when AL is gone

[Weez]

are you a john hollinger fan? not a put down...this is simply his outlook on Antoine Walker as well,something that many argue against.

[SmooveTheFuture]

This is wat was said about Josh Smith entering the NBA Draft they compared him to Vince Carter but with more heart and put as the SF

Josh Smith

Birthdate: 12/5/85

NBA Position: Small Forward

College: None

Class: HS Senior

Ht: 6-8

Wt: 221

Hometown: Smyrna, GA

High School: Oak Hill Academy

2003 Stats

NBA Comparison: Vince Carter (with heart)

Strengths: Explosive athlete capable who can jump out of the gym … Has shown a more consistent jumper from 3-point range … Above average rebounder who uses his long arms and quick leaping ability to grab boards … Excellent finisher on the fast break where he really knows how to finish with flair and excitement … Defensively he understands how to play the passing lanes for easy steals … Shows a great sense of timing when he blocks … On his drives to the lane he has the body control and creativeness to maneuver through the lane even in traffic … Has really filled out this past season and now has the kind of body needed to play in the NBA … Does a great job of extending his body on his penetrations to get to the basket … Not a bad shooter from mid-range when he has he feet set … Still doesn’t show great court awareness during games as he tends to make costly mental mistakes … Potentially there are few in the draft with his kind of upside … Runs the court like a deer … Decent passer who is unselfish and sees the floor … Shows solid lateral quickness on defense …

Weakness: Will need to improve on his overall ball handling … This will aid him in taking opposing players off the dribble … While he has three point range he lacks consistency … Will need to work on his shot selection as he can get a little too carried away … Lacks any real post up game to take advantage of mismatches … Mid range shooting remains questionable off the dribble … Has a tendency to get careless with the ball … Concentration level tends to vary as he can seem almost uninterested in the game … Defensively he needs to work on becoming more committed … Settles at times for taking outside shots instead of driving to the basket … Decision making has some questions surrounding it due to his average basketball awareness …

-Matthew Maurer - 4/8/04

Smith is quite simply a freak of nature. There are few that have the NBA skills that he naturally possesses at this moment. Smith is a “run and jump” type of player. He really improved his game over the summer of 2002. At the adidas ABCD camp, he made the coveted top 20 participants list. He also made the all tournament team at the adidas Big Time Tournament..... Smith showed his ability to step outside and hit a consistent three point shot as well as developing a nice mid range shot. If Smith can develop a slashing move, a nice back door cut and a decent handle, we could be looking at a very, very good swingman.....He loves to play above the rim. Sometimes he gets caught up in trying to please the crowd or dunking on every possession. He plays in the paint on his high school team, which should help him continue to work on rebounding.....Mentally he still needs to progress. He is still learning the game. But only a junior, he has plenty of time.

-Justin Young

Strengths: A sweet shooting lefty combo forward. Josh is an excellent shooter with very good ball handling skills. He can shoot the lights out from down town or take the ball to the hole for a huge dunk. His ability to play more than one position provides nightmares for opposing players and coaches...Loves to back in smaller players and either slash to the basket or kick it out to a perimeter player. He is a very good shot blocker for his height and a good on the ball defender. His unbelievable shooting touch is what separates him from the rest of the pack. A special talent.

Weaknesses: Sometimes struggles playing against bigger opponents…Although a proficient rebounder he needs to work on his positioning...Has a tendency to rely on his jumper too much and not take the ball to basket as often as he should...Been known to get down on himself when having an off night

Notes: A potential star in the making. Smith has what it takes to make it in the league.

-Savneet Singh

Heres Marvin they have playing SF in the NBA as well. We all know we can have 2 starting SFs playing big minutes at 3 so one will have to to the PF Spot

Marvin Williams

Birthdate: 6/19/86

NBA Position: Small Forward

College: North Carolina

Class: Freshman

Ht: 6-9

Wt: 230

Hometown: Bremerton, WA

High School: Bremerton

Team Site Profile 2004 Stats

Strengths: Elite level athlete, Very quick and agile for a player of his size... Can play any position on the floor effectively.. Never out-worked or out-hustled... Doesn’t take plays off... Gives you everything he has whether it’s a high school playoff game or an AAU event... Excellent form on jumper... NBA range... Very effective when facing the hoop as he has a quick first step and utilizes his jabs and fakes to perfection... Court awareness is that of a vet... Finds teammates from anywhere on the court...An excellent passer from any spot on the floor who possesses great knowledge of the game.... At 6-9 he handles like a guard and has excellent touch out to 17 feet.... Great rebounder because of his size and ability to get off the ground quickly... Big game player... Plays his best in the clutch... A quick leaper who plays well above the rim. Has tremendous potential.

Weaknesses: More of a wing/forward at this point... Doesn’t play well with his back to the basket as he hasn’t developed a go-to post move... Must improve strength as he won’t always be able to rely on his athletic ability at the next level... Is a shot blocker but has trouble defending smaller quicker players...As with all young guys not named LeBron or Carmelo, he struggles with consistency....

Notes: Would greatly benefit from a year or two in college. A relatively unknown on the hoop scene until the 2002 ABCD camp where he earned all-star honors. He followed that up with a terrific performance at the Adidas Big Time Tournament, being named to the all-tournament team. As a sophomore, averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds for Bremerton High School in Bremerton, Washington. Plays summer ball for Rotary Select, an Adidas sponsored AAU team. Having establishing himself as one of the elite players in the country. Had a huge 34 point performance against Josh Smith and the Champion Atlanta Celtics in the Big Time Tourney last Summer.

-Mike Apodaca -- 4/7/04

[thesheedera]

Not a Hollinger fan, I think he over simplifies things with stats. That's my problem with assuming that Smith is an offensive power foward simply because there isn't anyone else in the game who is a power forward at the time.

When I watch Smith play on offense, I think of a versatile small forward. I don't see what I want to see in a POWER forward. I don't see him banging down low. On offense I think he's better at the small forward position right now and I think he wants to be a small forward going forward.

If he can also guard PFs on the other end, great.