NBA Houston Rockets

Houston Rockets Become Contenders With Josh Smith Signing

Fresh Videos

By @vinnylanni

josh smith forward

Getty Images

The Houston Rockets received an early Christmas present when the Detroit Pistons released Josh Smith midway through the season. After Smith cleared waivers, the Rockets offered him plenty of playing time, a chance to start and an opportunity that he couldn’t refuse. With his buddy Dwight Howard by his side, Smith will be a welcomed addition, and possibly the final piece that makes the Rockets the team to beat in the Western Conference.

Before the Pistons decided to cut Smith, he had the lowest shooting percentage amongst all players that average 26-plus minutes a game. Now that he is in Houston, Smith’s former stats get thrown out the window because he won’t need to do as much. I fully expect Smith to play off the ball and work to his strengths instead of trying to make too much happen. There is no doubt that Smith is one of the most gifted athletes in the NBA and now the pressure is off of him to produce. James Harden and Howard will still be the central focus for the Rockets on offense and now all Smith needs to do is use that to his advantage.

It may not seem like a big deal, but Smith being able to play alongside his friend will help him a lot. It was a toxic situation for Smith while he was with the Pistons. Him and head coach Stan Van Gundy were always at odds with each other, and even though we don’t know the behind-the-scenes details, it was obvious that something wasn’t clicking.

Smith will do all of the little things for the Rockets. He is a solid rebounder, shot blocker and overall a great defender. Smith doesn’t have the best offensive game in the world and he can’t make too much happen on his own, but he won’t need to in this offense.

The thing to remember with this deal is that Smith is still top-five defender at his position and even though his offensive game is on the decline, he is still a great talent. His days of being a prolific scorer may be over, but he can be a great piece for a team that already has a lot of pieces in place. With a ton of great teams in the West and a lot of prolific power forwards like Tim Duncan, Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge, Smith will play a big role come playoff time.

Smith to the Rockets is a great move and I believe that his poor start to the 2014-2015 season will be forgotten soon.

Vinny Lanni is a New York Jets writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter or add him to your network on Google.

Share Tweet
Trending Now on