This is Josh Smith

[capstone21]

This is Josh SmithAtlanta Hawks forward explains what he's looking for in free agency, his careerUpdated: April 3, 2013, 2:02 PM ETBy Ramona Shelburne | ESPNLosAngeles.comChris Humphreys/USA TODAY SportsThe Hawks held onto him at the trade deadline, but will Josh Smith still fly the coop this summer?It is one of those perfect California afternoons by the beach where the sunlight hits the water just right, the breeze knows when to pick up a little to cool you off and the biggest decision you have to make is what to order for lunch.After being squarely in the national spotlight leading up to the NBA trade deadline in late February, the life of Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith is back to normal.He didn't get traded, even though in a few months he will become one of the most sought-after free agents on the market. He is still with the Hawks as they gear up for a playoff run that will likely go unnoticed unless they put a scare into a team like the Miami Heat in the second round.He can walk through the lobby of this luxury hotel in Marina Del Rey without being recognized. He can have lunch a couple of blocks from Staples Center before a game against the Los Angeles Lakers without being disturbed.If you're an NBA fan you recognize his rather common name and his versatile game.But after that, how much do you really know about him?Yes, he fills up the stat sheet better than just about anyone not named LeBron James.And yes, he did say he thinks of himself as a "max [contract] player." But that's not the whole story."Each interview is delicate. What you say or how you say it, at the end of the day they're not putting that recorder and letting the whole world listen to it," Smith said.He's calm, not defensive, about the quote that hangs over him and has been used to explain why the Hawks would consider trading a homegrown talent who could help them recruit Dwight Howard, an Atlanta native and also the best man at Smith's wedding, this offseason."The question was asked to me, 'Do I feel like I'm a max player?'" Smith continued. "And I gave him an honest answer. I said, 'Yes I do.' And the reason why I say this, is because if you don't know your worth, who will? I can't set my standards low. If you set them low, that's how people are going to view you. Like when you sell a house, you don't sell the house for $2 million. You put the $5 million sticker on there and then you work it out. You negotiate."He speaks slowly, but with a confidence that suggests he's thought all this through and made his peace with it. It wasn't pleasant to hear the reaction, but it also wasn't personal. Things rarely are for a player who, despite his preps-to-pros pedigree and status as a borderline All-Star, is still a bit of an unknown nationally."I think he's a little misunderstood to people that don't really know about him," said Clippers guard Jamal Crawford, who played two seasons with Smith in Atlanta. "If you don't know him you think he needs to grow up, but he's actually very mature. He's a great teammate, we had great conversations, he has your back."But if you ask his teammates and the people that see him every day, they love him."Despite the trade chatter and his impending free agency, Atlanta means a lot to Smith. He sponsors AAU and high school teams all over the city, paid for the living expenses for the family of Rajaan Bennett -- a star football player from his high school who was murdered before he could play at Vanderbilt University -- and hosts a Thanksgiving dinner every year for My Sister's House, a shelter for women and families affected by domestic abuse."Sometimes I feel like my tithe to the church is being able to give back to my community," he said. "I grew up in poverty. I wasn't a rich kid. My dad drove trucks, 18-wheelers."My mom had callouses on her hands from doing hair and using the curling irons. My dad used to unload the truck himself just to try and get extra money to buy me shoes. I had one pair of shoes, this pair of navy blue Converse he bought me. And I had to wear them with all my outfits at school and then turn around and play basketball in 'em."So you know, I learned to appreciate the little things."Which is why the quote about being a "max player" is more about respect than money. Appreciating the little things the 27-year-old Smith does on the court."I believe I can be that," Smith said, when asked if he can develop into the type of scorer who is generally awarded a max contract. "But my thought process is, 'As the team succeeds, I succeed.' If we're a hell of a team, and we're playing well, individual accolades trickle down."There's definitely still room for me to grow. I work on having more consistency with my jump shot. But every night it's not going to go in for you. But if you look at the intangibles, each and every night I play my all. I can pass the basketball well or I can sit on it and take the challenge on the defensive end. I still can block shots and get out and run."[+] EnlargeScott Cunningham/NBAE/Getty ImagesThe Hawks ask Josh Smith to juggle a lot of roles.Smith gets fired up as he explains himself. His voice grows a little louder. He sits up in his chair and looks me in the eye, making sure his words are resonating.You get the sense he appreciates being asked the question. But also that he's long since resigned himself to the idea that his play must speak for him. He can guard five positions and drop 30 points. But he knows his jump shot needs to become more consistent, and that he settles for it too often.Smith is filling it up again this season, with 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.8 blocks per game, but his player efficiency rating has dipped, from career best 21.14 last season to 17.53 this season. His 3-point attempts have also risen to a career high as he and the Hawks try to adjust to life without Joe Johnson's scoring and spacing on the perimeter."I like passing the basketball," he said. "I like to reward people for good work. Every kid wants their mom to take them for ice cream when they do good. People want to get rewarded. And if they don't get rewarded, it can become, not a selfish thing, but like 'I'm going to take this shot because I haven't got any looks,' and then everybody else does the same thing."He's been like this from as far back as he can remember. From the days he and Howard starred on the Atlanta Celtics AAU team, to his time sharing the court with Rajon Rondo at Oak Hill Academy, this is the type of basketball he believes in. And it's the type of situation he'll be looking for when he hits free agency this summer."Winning. That's all I care about," Smith said. "I want to have an opportunity to have a legitimate shot at getting a ring. I've been successful in high school, AAU, I want to have a legitimate shot at winning a title."That place still might be Atlanta. After all, the Hawks valued him highly enough not to pull the trigger on any of the trades they entertained before the deadline. More than a dozen teams inquired about Smith but no offer came in that met Hawks general manager Danny Ferry's goal of returning a good young player while still maintaining all the flexibility he created last summer by trading Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams."I think our situation was unique in terms of still being competitive but also having cap space and flexibility going forward," Ferry said. "We looked at all of our options at the end of June up until the trade deadline."Josh and I have had a positive and honest relationship from Day 1. He's been professional this season despite a lot of change and obviously a lot of distractions. I've enjoyed working with him."Smith says he didn't take what happened at the deadline personally. He is still open to a return to the Hawks but is also looking forward to free agency and the recruiting process, which he hasn't truly gotten to experience.Before he decided to forgo college and enter his name in the 2004 NBA draft, his heart was set on Georgia. After coach Jim Harrick was hit with NCAA violations, he met with Indiana coach Mike Davis and was sold on the Hoosiers.In 2008 he signed an offer sheet with the Memphis Grizzlies as a restricted free agent. The Hawks matched and that was that."I went to Philadelphia and sat down with the Clippers for dinner because I was already out here in Los Angeles [where he now lives during the offseason] for an adidas photo shoot," Smith said. "So this is going to be exciting for me to travel to different cities, and sit down and talk to executives and GMs."He's pretty clear about what he wants to see and hear. Because he's also very clear about what's important to him.It was a seven-game series and the three games we had at home, it was unbelievable. You could feel the building shaking. You could feel the intensity, it was loud. I want that feeling.-- Josh Smith on the Hawks' 2008 first-round series vs. the Celtics"The first time we made the playoffs [in 2008], we played the Celtics," Smith said. "It was a seven-game series and the three games we had at home, it was unbelievable. You could feel the building shaking. You could feel the intensity, it was loud."I want that feeling."That kind of atmosphere has been rare in the nine seasons Smith has played for the Hawks. Atlanta has never been known as a great sports town. The Atlanta Braves made the playoffs 10 consecutive years, from 1995 to 2005, often playing to a half-empty ballpark. The Hawks are 26th in the league in home attendance."The only time where I can honestly say it was rocking was that first series against the Celtics," Smith said wistfully about the first-round matchup. "For those moments, that excitement should just be there."To create that kind of excitement and hype, a team first has to win and give its fans something to be excited about. Smith gets that. Atlanta is his hometown. And if the Hawks aren't creating buzz, well, some of that falls on his shoulders, as well."Winning changes everything," Smith said. "And the person changes everything."Smith, of course, could be one of the people who changes things for Atlanta and the Hawks. Ferry has created some $33 million in salary-cap space to pursue at least one of the top free agents on the market this summer and re-sign Smith. Howard, Smith's close friend, will be one of those max players to hit the market this summer."Is Dwight serious about [Atlanta]? That's the question," Smith said. "Everybody would probably want to have him on the team."But Dwight is global now. That's in his mindset. He's addicted to it now. He's addicted to being global and international. That was the whole reason he wanted to leave Orlando is he wanted to have that big market."I'm not going to say it's farfetched [for Atlanta to lure Howard], but it is going to be kind of difficult to be able to persuade him."It's a complicated situation to process. It's also in the future. A lot can still happen between now and then. It's best to focus on the present, on what he can control, and then let his game do the talking."I think we'll prove a lot of people wrong," said Smith, whose Hawks are still right where they usually are this time of year, in the middle of the Eastern Conference standings. "I love playing in the postseason. That's what we play for. It's a different type of feeling, it's a different type of adrenaline rush. I love those moments."It's what he's looking forward to now.It's what he's looking for in the future.

[Deeman]

Wish he was as smart on the court as he is off it.

[HawkItus]

Wish he was as smart on the court as he is off it.

His "people" weren't there.

[Wretch]

My biggest problem with Smoove is that I just can't see where this disconnect is...

How can he NOT see how much more efficient he would be if he stopped shooting all those jumpers...? How can he just...NOT see it...

"I believe I can be that," Smith said, when asked if he can develop into the type of scorer who is generally awarded a max contract.

How do you become an elite scorer, when 40% of your shots are jumpers that hit for 30%...? It's just not his role, but it's obvious that we've been grooming him to think that way. Why else does he have this mentality. Dude should be focused on everything BUT shooting the ball...and he would be amazing. THAT, ironically WOULD reward him a max contract and shut people up.

Despite what they say in the article, I think he has some maturity issues. All the great players at some point realize what it is that they are really good and - and they do THAT. That's a big part of the maturity process as a player and to be honest, Josh has almost done the exact opposite.

[AHawks89]

Haters going to hate, but Josh is the man! Bring in superstar talent, and I can bet you that his game will change. The dude love the city of Atlanta. Josh needs to start recruiting!

[capstone21]

The big thing that he pointed out was the lack of fan support which will always be true for Atlanta. The city does not support the team...they come out to cheer on other teams. That is one of the biggest detriments to us getting FAs to come here.

[ATLSmith]

Man, I just read this article and thought it was great. I'm a little surprised to read the negative comments above after what is an overwhelmingly positive article. This is what I took away from it:1) There's so much criticism of players and people tend to forget they are just normal people doing their best to improve. Could Smoove stop shooting jumpers and improve his PER, sure, but how would that allow him to improve the weak areas of his game and become a better overall player?2) It is important to remember that the media often spins the truth to create controversy because it sells. Often, we are only getting half-truths and need to give someone time to explain themselves. Understanding is a two-way street but getting information through the media is often a one-way street.

[Guest]

Great article. His love for Atlanta is passionate and he wants Philips to be jumping and shaking for his Hawks.

[DrReality]

T I think I can be a max player! CAN Be????? All I care about is winning! Not true cuz if he did he'd pass the ball and not shoot 3s

[Wretch]

Man, I just read this article and thought it was great. I'm a little surprised to read the negative comments above after what is an overwhelmingly positive article. This is what I took away from it:

1) There's so much criticism of players and people tend to forget they are just normal people doing their best to improve. Could Smoove stop shooting jumpers and improve his PER, sure, but how would that allow him to improve the weak areas of his game and become a better overall player?

2) It is important to remember that the media often spins the truth to create controversy because it sells. Often, we are only getting half-truths and need to give someone time to explain themselves. Understanding is a two-way street but getting information through the media is often a one-way street.

[JackB1]

Josh wants to work on his jump shot more.....good luck with that!How about working on your low post game????Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

[yungsta]

BS everyone says they care about winning cause its the right thing to say to the media but only a few players actually show it on the court.

If you care about winning

why are you jacking three points at a career high rate?

Why do you play with such lackluster effort?

Why dont you play to your strengths?

If you are so unselfish why do you insist on bringing the ball up yourself while the point guard is RIGHT THERE calling for it?

There are alot more question I can ask but ill keep it at that.

I can give an example of a player who truely cares about winning for example,

D-wade (yea hes a bitch/diva) but listen up he cares about winning. You wanna know why?

1.He cut his 3 point attempts Significantly because he knows he is a 28% career 3 point shooter JUST LIKE SMOOVE. and knows it is better for the TEAM if he stopped settling for 3 points so He cut his attempts from 3 pointers from 2.7 down to about 1 per game. This guy is a SG you expect SGs to be shooting threes.

2. He checked his EGO and took a backseat to LBJ. Because IT WAS BETTER FOR THE TEAM for LBJ to be the clear cut number 1 option. I read an interview saying he desperately miss the days of him taking 25+ shots a night but knows its better for the team to let LBJ be the man.

Why dont you do that if you care about winning?

Edited April 4, 2013 by yungsta

[AHF]

I love his passion for Atlanta. I fundamentally disagree that shooting more jumpers is a better way to improve his play and increase the team's chances to win as compared to working on face up and post up moves in the paint.

[Guest]

"The question was asked to me, 'Do I feel like I'm a max player?'" Smith continued. "And I gave him an honest answer. I said, 'Yes I do.' And the reason why I say this, is because if you don't know your worth, who will? I can't set my standards low. If you set them low, that's how people are going to view you. Like when you sell a house, you don't sell the house for $2 million. You put the $5 million sticker on there and then you work it out. You negotiate."

Sounds like he doesn't actually anticipate being a max player after reading this quote. That or he lacks the capacity to understand analogies. After reading this interview and watching him play, it is really hard to figure out which way to interpret this. Uhhh....I am going with my first interpretation for the time being.

[ATLSmith]

Wretch, on 03 Apr 2013 - 22:52, said:

Lol, that was unexpected.

[AHF]

Sounds like he doesn't actually anticipate being a max player after reading this quote. That or he lacks the capacity to understand analogies. After reading this interview and watching him play, it is really hard to figure out which way to interpret this. Uhhh....I am going with my first interpretation for the time being.

That is my take as well.

He is basically saying, "Look - I am going to be negotiating for a new contract. My opening offer is going to be a max contract and I will negotiate with multiple teams to get as close to there as possible but I realize that unless someone goes crazy it won't be that max number. Just understand that I have to say I think I am a max guy because that is going to be my opening offer."

[Wretch]

That is my take as well.

He is basically saying, "Look - I am going to be negotiating for a new contract. My opening offer is going to be a max contract and I will negotiate with multiple teams to get as close to there as possible but I realize that unless someone goes crazy it won't be that max number. Just understand that I have to say I think I am a max guy because that is going to be my opening offer."

Just to add to that... Josh had the option to deflect all salary/contract talk. Most players do that during the season to avoid rubbing the fans and the organization the wrong way and to just keep their options open. It's a business. Most rational people understand that. So instead of throwing a number out there during the middle of the season and talking about who you are and what money you are owed (talking in 3rd person no less...), you take the high road:

Reporter: "Do you want to stay in Atlanta? Do you believe that you are a maximum salary player?"

Smoove: "There will be plenty of time to discuss my contract and status with the Hawks this summer. Right now, I'm just focused on winning and I'm not going to allow salary and contract talk to be a distraction to the team. As far as what I feel my worth is? That's just not something I'm concerned about right now. Negotiations start this summer and we'll see what happens."

Honestly, I feel all that salary talk was just a ploy. Josh played a card to make it more difficult to trade him - and it worked.

There shouldn't be any hesitation. I’m Josh Smith, I’m not anybody else. I ‘m not Michael Jordan, I’m not LeBron James, I’m not Brook Lopez. I’m Josh Smith. You can’t look at what might've happened with another person. Let’s say Joe [Johnson]. You can’t say, ‘I’m skeptical of giving another person that’ because of whatever they feel like happened.”

“I feel like I’m a max player,” Smith said Friday. “I feel I bring a lot to the table. I have a lot of versatility. For what I do and what I give this ball club, I feel like I’m worth it.”

In other words, "Josh Smith is a great player. Pay Josh Smith his money."

I couldn't respond to people who think what I have to say about Josh is negative. I just didn't have the energy. The wide-eyed, spaced out, mind blowed cat is just a metaphor for how my brain exploded. It is amazing how people can't see the problem here. Just...amazing. Moreover, I have been a HUGE Josh Smith supporter for going on 9 years...HUGE. He has been my a favorite Hawk for like...almost a decade. Because I don't agree with the ridiculous way he chooses to play, I'm a hater? I'm negative?

WOW.

Josh Smith is given jumpshots. He's not earning highly contested baskets. Literally...smart coaches are sagging off of him, WANTING him to shoot. And Josh is going...2 for 10...3 for 12...1 for 7...2 for 13...2 of 9...3 of 10....

This is the perfect Josh Smith/jumpers analogy:

Doc Rivers is one of the best coaches in the league right now. Look at what he did for Josh Smith in our last loss against them:

How do ANY of those X's make us better? Is there any way that these shots are beneficial? Is this the ideal way that Smith needs to play? So what is the point of it? Just let him shoot, and restart the play...? WTF...? And that's IF we get the rebound...

By the way, we are pretty average at best, if not one of the WORST rebounding teams in the NBA:

http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/team/_/stat/rebounds-per-game

Opposing coaches know this better than we do, so they give him the shot and they prepare for the long/high rebound. If you are playing into the opposing coach's hands, then you are not helping the team win. Josh walks right into their strategy every single night. It's not best for him, it's not best for the team, and it affects more than just his PER.

If you don't understand that, then all I can say is...

Edited April 4, 2013 by Wretch

[Watchman]

Josh wants to work on his jump shot more.....good luck with that!

How about working on your low post game????

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

How about working on free throw shooting while you're at it?

Just to add to that... Josh had the option to deflect all salary/contract talk. Most players do that during the season to avoid rubbing the fans and the organization the wrong way and to just keep their options open. It's a business. Most rational people understand that. So instead of throwing a number out there during the middle of the season and talking about who you are and what money you are owed (talking in 3rd person no less...), you take the high road:

Reporter: "Do you want to stay in Atlanta? Do you believe that you are a maximum salary player?"

Smoove: "There will be plenty of time to discuss my contract and status with the Hawks this summer. Right now, I'm just focused on winning and I'm not going to allow salary and contract talk to be a distraction to the team. As far as what I feel my worth is? That's just not something I'm concerned about right now. Negotiations start this summer and we'll see what happens."

Honestly, I feel all that salary talk was just a ploy. Josh played a card to make it more difficult to trade him - and it worked.

In other words, "Josh Smith is a great player. Pay Josh Smith his money."

I couldn't respond to people who think what I have to say about Josh is negative. I just didn't have the energy. The wide-eyed, spaced out, mind blowed cat is just a metaphor for how my brain exploded. It is amazing how people can't see the problem here. Just...amazing. Moreover, I have been a HUGE Josh Smith supporter for going on 9 years...HUGE. He has been my a favorite Hawk for like...almost a decade. Because I don't agree with the ridiculous way he chooses to play, I'm a hater? I'm negative?

WOW.

Josh Smith is given jumpshots. He's not earning highly contested baskets. Literally...smart coaches are sagging off of him, WANTING him to shoot. And Josh is going...2 for 10...3 for 12...1 for 7...2 for 13...2 of 9...3 of 10....

This is the perfect Josh Smith/jumpers analogy:

Doc Rivers is one of the best coaches in the league right now. Look at what he did for Josh Smith in our last loss against them:

How do ANY of those X's make us better? Is there any way that these shots are beneficial? Is this the ideal way that Smith needs to play? So what is the point of it? Just let him shoot, and restart the play...? WTF...? And that's IF we get the rebound...

By the way, we are pretty average at best, if not one of the WORST rebounding teams in the NBA:

http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/team/_/stat/rebounds-per-game

Opposing coaches know this better than we do, so they give him the shot and they prepare for the long/high rebound. If you are playing into the opposing coach's hands, then you are not helping the team win. Josh walks right into their strategy every single night. It's not best for him, it's not best for the team, and it affects more than just his PER.

If you don't understand that, then all I can say is...

Space Kitty, tell Josh to work on his free throw shooting and his inside game, ok?

[HawkItus]

I'm honestly sick of talking about Josh. Besides we have a other concerns going into the playoffs.....Jeff Teague has morphed into his par self again.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

OK . . this literally made me LOL forreal.