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The New Orleans Pelicans were thin on the wing before projected starter Solomon Hill underwent surgery on his hamstring, rendering him inactive for the entire 2017-18 season. The Pelicans are scrambling to find forwards, said ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on The Woj Pod (h/t CBSSports):
“They have a workout there, with, I’m told, Josh Smith, Chase Budinger, Martell Webster.”
Josh Smith is certainly the most interesting name out of these three (although I’d be here for a Chase Budinger resurgence). Smith is probably somehow the best and worst player out of the three listed, and it’s worth noting that he played high school ball with Rajon Rondo, the Pelicans’ projected starting point guard.
Smith, 31, has 12 years of NBA experience, which he spent with the Hawks, Pistons, Rockets and Clippers. At his peak, he was an athletic freak and terrific defender. In the 2011-12 season for Atlanta, Smith averaged 18.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. Smith has all the talent in the world, but his basketball IQ has always been a question mark; he takes an excessive amount of outside shots given his capability as a shooter.
