J-Smoove to the Clippers
- Jul 18, 2015
- 2 min read
The Los Angeles Clippers have further strengthened their bench with the signing of Josh Smith from the Houston Rockets to a league veteran minimum contract. Smith will be set to earn $1.2m and adds a much needed small forward on the depth chart. Outside of Wesley Johnson and Paul Pierce, the Clippers didn't have a small forward in the lineup, especially one with the ball handling capabilities of Smith.
Smith averaged 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists over the 2014/15 season with the Pistons and the Rockets. While his 3 point shooting has never been outstanding, he was given the green light to start shooting more 3s with the Rockets. His attempts from deep more than doubled when he moved to H-Town, from 1.3 up to 3.5. He was also second in usage rate while with the Rockets, only behind dominant ball-handler James Harden.
If used correctly, Smith can be a very effective player for the LA Clippers. His versatility as both a playmaker and scorer (if needed) allows the Clippers to play a small-ball lineup with Smith a the power forward spot. This is best demonstrated in his game against the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. Smith can bring the ball up the court while Chris Paul is on the bench and form a very unique partnership with Hornets outcast Lance Stephenson.
Meanwhile, the Rockets will be losing one of their most important players, despite only playing 55 games for them. As mentioned earlier, Smith was second in usage rate for the Rockets and developed into a primary ball handler for them while Harden was on the bench. Smith allowed the Rockets to space the floor (believe it or not) and gave Harden and Howard more space to work inside the paint. It'll be interesting to see how the Rockets intend to replace Smith's production.
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