Josh Smith Will Be Detroit Pistons’ MVP For 2013-14 Season

Josh Smith will be MVP of nothing.

His time with the Hawks was one explosion after the other. First, he demanded that Woodson be fired, or he wasn’t going to play for the team. Woodson made the mistake of telling Smith (when he was 2 years out of high school) to focus more on getting inside, and not taking the long shot. Smith told Woodson to go “f” his mother. When Smith was benched during a game, he threw an explicative laced, child like tantrum on the court, halting the game. Smith was fined by the NBA, and suspended.

Smith was asked directly by Hawks management who he felt he could work with as coach…Smith picked Larry Drew.

3 years ago, Drew coached Josh in the same manner as Woodson…Smith threw a tantrum, and told Drew to go “f” his mother. Drew was instructed by the teams owners to ignore the outbursts, and they started to quietly shop Smith around. For years they have attempted to trade him…no takers. And, of course, Smith demanded that Drew be fired.

Part of the problem is Smith’s intelligence (or lack there of). During a charity event for the “Sisters House” a local homeless shelter, Smith was asked if he would read a promo for the event that was to air prior to a newscast. It was rumored that Smith needed a friend to help him read the lines, one by one…feeding him each line from the paper. Not being able to read doesn’t make you dumb, but it doesn’t help. Smith did so many other things that defined his low character and intelligence. For example, he was injured and unable to play. When asked by the local paper how he felt about sitting on the bench, he stated that he was now a “Player/Coach” helping the team just as much as if he was on the court. The problem was, Smith was universally hated by his teammates. In reply, Zsa Zsa said that Josh could not coach a little league team. Smith, being from Atlanta, frequently told his teammates that the only reason the team had people in the seats was because of him. He also made it very clear to them that the Hawks would not ever make the playoffs without him.

During one away game (against the Nets?) Smith made a shot, turned to the crowd, and made a sexual gesture towards the fans. The NBA later fined Smith for the gesture. When asked about the fine, Smith said he would fight it, his reply went something like this, “I ain’t never got no memo from dems tellin me I can’t do dat”. Smith’s defense was that it was the NBA’s fault for not telling him how to act like a civil human being when young boys and girls were watching him at a public, televised event.

Smith was fined and benched for his later antics against Drew….much like he did with Woodson, Smith had an on-court tantrum that was filled with statements about Drew, his mother, and the things Drew did to his mother. Drew, to his credit, routinely said he did not see Smith acting up.

Benched and fined this season for locker rooms fights with his Teammates. This season’s fight was very well publicized, unlike most of his past locker room fighting and bickering with team mates. Drew very clearly stated he had asked Josh to stop taking long distance 3′s. Smith fired back that his long shot wasn’t really that bad. Fans sided with Drew. During games, whenever he took a 3 or close to it, the fans would chant, “JJJJJJJ_STUPPPID…JJJJJJJ STUPPID”…a play on Smith’s nicname “J-Smoove”.

By any standard, these are the actions and words of a someone with a child’s IQ.

To his credit, Smith is a naturally gifted athlete. I would argue very few defensive players are better. Inside the paint, he excels. Getting him under the rim is the issue. If you watched any game this season, you saw an “uninspired” Smith slowly shuffling from one side of the court to the other. His play is wildly inconsistent, and his work ethic has always been reported as “non-existent”.

Sadly for Detroit, they have pinned their entire future on a man-child
who has never been able to get along with his coaches, his teammates or
even his own hometown fans. Recently Smith was reported as saying he was the new leader of the Pistons, and that he was going to show the other players how it’s done. Maybe a new city will change his history of laziness, maybe his character hasn’t been formed yet, and he’ll get along this time. Each year with the Hawks, fans said the same thing, “Maybe this is the year Josh reaches his potential”.

Within 2 years, Detroit will attempt to trade him. He won’t make it thru this season without an outburst, and his teammates, coach and fans will quickly learn what Atlanta did.