Josh Smith quote

[Wurider05]

Smith said he will have to change his approach to playing in the post: “I’m doing pretty good with that. I have just got to make sure I am low at all times and be able to create the contact and not wait for it. I’ve got to be ready for guys like Derrick Favors, Zach Randolph, Amar’e Stoudemire, all those guys who are strong down low.”

He looked like the old chucking Josh Smith at the scrimmage.

[HawksFan87]

He made a majority of them, AL also took way too mamy jumpers for me as well. But lets be real here. How much banging do you guys expect josh smith to do at 225 pounds??

[MaceCase]

Josh is a bit of a contradiction. He drops to 225 so he can better defend SFs (even though nearly every starting SF is on average 5lbs heavier than that) but then talks about defending all of the big PFs that are 250 plus. He really just put himself at a major disadvantage at two positions for absolutely no reason.

His weight is not what's keeping him from defending 3s its his mentality and it was on display last night again. He was getting taken off the dribble by Joe and Radmo of all people because he bites on pumps and tries to anticipate passing lanes instead of playing straight up and then is completely lost trying to move laterally to recover. Offensively he had lift but contact seemed to bother him nearly to Zaza levels. I'll attribute that to the more than likely lost muscle mass that he surely suffered when he dropped all that weight (no way can you cut 30 pounds and have it all be fat).

Seriously, if he was worried about the knees and energy level then he should of found a compromise like he did in his career year of 09 and just dropped to 235. That allowed him great versatility at either forward position but now I'm truly worried because I can't see him playing up to what we've expected over the last couple of years with a body like that and being less capable to bang and still having no handle just means he'll be settling for more jumpers.......

[HawksFan87]

Some of you guys are overreacting like always.. It was a simple acrimmage, calm down...

[Jody23]

Truth be told, Josh never had the body type to carry a large amount of weight (240+) and still be effective. He was never a "banger" or "true post player" either. He's not a prototypical 3. However, the organization and many fans have wanted him and Al to be "Shawn Kemp" and "Alonzo Mourning" to cover over the terrible mismanagement and drafting that's gone on and its a shame. Josh and Al are not and will not be those guys. I applaud Josh for dropping the weight. I think it will help extend his career by preserving his athleticism which is his biggest asset. If it results in him being traded, it may put him in a better position. I'm sure he (and others) are tire of playing for an organization that does nothing to give players needed support due to their own ineptitude.

[Jody23]

Some of you guys are overreacting like always.. It was a simple acrimmage, calm down...

I concur.

[AHawks89]

The "Smoove" haters are already trying to bash him before the season starts. It's a scrimmage game.

Calm down.

[lethalweapon3]

((Preparing a care package of fried tilapia sandwiches))

~lw3

[MaceCase]

Let's do some simple arithmetic here.

Josh Smith has spent the majority of his career up at or around 240 and no one complained about it or said it would be an issue, not even him.

When "haters" were calling him a bonafide fat *ss last season these same people that are quick to defend him were saying he wasn't.

Now he comes back saying he lost 25-30 pounds because he couldn't take being at that weight.

He is at 225 pounds now.

225+25/30= 250/255

Conclusion: Josh Smith was never meant to be 240lbs.......even though he wasn't physically affected by it until he was visibly and by his own admission 10-15 lbs overweight.

Can't argue with that logic.

[Kimsey]

He specified his lingering knee injury to why he lost the weight. How can you surmise from a scrimmage that he can't handle the PF position. He will struggle with players like Randolph but he has always struggled against guys of that ilk. He's always been a poor perimeter defender, the weight loss should help.

[MaceCase]

No, Kimsey, I surmised from common sense that a 6'9" 225 PF is going to struggle defending and scoring against players who now have an even greater physical advantage over him. The fact that he was jacking up long jumpers and couldn't finish over DLeaguers wasn't exactly helping to alleviate this suspicion..

I surmised from watching him his first few seasons struggle on the perimeter defensively and offensively that he was not truly cut out to be a wing. Watching flashes of the exact same skill, mental and physical limitations is not helping to alleviate that either.

All I know is that I'm skeptical and I'm not seeing anything new yet to think differently. The issue he had with the knee is warranted but that was a result of him not refusing a 5th helping at dinner rather than being in top physical shape but his body just not being able to handle the extra weight. The weight loss was too drastic and may end up hurting him in the long run because LD said he's not playing him out of position more and He himself is already discussing the different manner in which he'll have to adapt so as to not take a pounding night in and out.

Here's hoping, anyways. Maybe he's a late blooming Rodman.

[HawksFan87]

For all of you who were so worried.. Smoove was in the post , and protected the tim vigorously today at practice ..

[Eddielives]

For all of you who were so worried.. Smoove was in the post , and protected the tim vigorously today at practice ..

And who is this tim that needs such vigorous protection?

[HawksFan87]

I meant rim not tim, genius !!

[Buzzard]

What Josh has done for the past 7 years is not gong to change much. If he takes less threes good, but its only good if those threes do not turn into 18 to 20ft missed jumpers that only count two when he hits one.

It really does not matter if he plays SF or PF on D, he will need help either way. He has the tweener body type to play either position but his footwork is not there to play man up D at PF or SF. He will have some great games and will also leave us scratching our heads some nights. Expect Josh to end up with about 16, 9, and 2.

Rock solid 3rd option. Now we need our second option Horford and fourth option Teague to raise their games. If Marvin is healthy maybe he can be a solid 5th option and return to his contract year form.

It is going to take this for us to remain one of the top four teams in the east. JJ, Smith, Hinrich, and Marvin are not going to improve anymore. Barring a trade its now up to the newer guys, Horford and Teague, to take their games up another notch.

Edited December 18, 2011 by Buzzard

[HawksFan87]

blah, blah, blah....

[DrReality]

Found Drew's comments interesting: as soon as the lights came of we forgot everything we had worked

on and just tried to please the crowd