After a very disappointing 5-23 start to the season for the Detroit Pistons, they have decided to release Josh Smith. In a move that is very surprising to some, this shows that the Pistons are headed in a new direction. The big man trio of Smith, Greg Monroe, and Andre Drummond simply wasn’t working out for this team. One of them had to go, and it is Smith who was given the boot.
From the day Smith joined the Pistons, it really hasn’t been a good fit. In that same offseason, the Pistons also acquired Brandon Jennings. With these two in Detroit, a playoff birth was the ultimate goal for the franchise. But with Smith not playing to his potential, things went downhill very quickly. Even bringing in coach Stan Van Gundy couldn’t fix this problem, so it was only a matter of time before the Pistons started making some moves.
Don’t get me wrong, Josh Smith is a talented player. We saw him at his best when he was alongside Joe Johnson with the Atlanta Hawks. But in Detroit, Smith has relied way too much on his three point shot. This season, he is shooting 24 percent from three point land. For someone who isn’t a good shooter, Smith needs to focus on playing closer to the basketball. He is only averaging 13.1 points per game this season, one of his career lows.
Teams such as the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, and Los Angeles Clippers have interest in signing Smith if he clears waivers by Wednesday. Houston could very well land Smith, as they were very close to doing that a year ago. If Smith is able to play for the right team with the right system, he could contribute to a winning team with a smaller role, which could be best for him. itll be interesting to see where Smith ends up. It simply wasn’t going to work out for him in Detroit, so this move could really help Smith have a fresh start.
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