Josh Smith Proves Worth in Debut as Houston Rockets Survive Memphis Grizzlies
By Shane Phillips
@ShaneRantSports
Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
It took five extra minutes and some increased nail biting, but in a battle of two of the NBA West’s best teams, it was the Houston Rockets that got the best of the Memphis Grizzlies,117-111. On a night where Dwight Howard was nonexistent, James Harden nearly recorded a triple-double with 32 PTS, 10 AST and 8 REB, but the main storyline was the debut of newly acquired Josh Smith.
Smith wasted no time making an imprint for the Rockets with 21 points, eight rebound and three assists off the bench. For his first game in Houston red and a debut on the road against one of the best front courts in the game, it was a major success for Smith. Even though he performed admirably as the sixth man, I don’t expect him to continue playing off the bench. In time, head coach Kevin McHale should switch the starting five to Patrick Beverley, Harden, Trevor Ariza,Smith and Howard.
For just under a million dollars, Smith seems to have already proven to be a fantastic pickup. Obviously $945,778 is nowhere near the multiple millions the Detroit Pistonswere paying him, but Smith has put himself directly into the center of a heated conference and a serious title contender. Not only was it a sweet deal for Houston, but the acquisition of Smith may have made the Rockets’ frontcourt the best in basketball. It will be intriguing to follow the development of Houston and how their new “Big 3″ play together, but it is already off to an exhilarating and fun start with an overtime victory.
Shane Phillips is an NBA Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow Shane on Twitter @ShaneRantSports, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also email Shane at [email protected].
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