“Some people can go through it, some people can’t. I just thank God that I was able to go through it.”
Ish Smith’s path throughout his NBA career has been unique, but after signing with the Detroit Pistons this past offseason, he is ready to continue his career and capture something he has yet been able to, an NBA Championship.
“I want to be on a team where we can be impactful, where I can be impactful and help my team win every night, and have a legitimate chance to win an NBA championship,” Smith told Def Pen, on why he chose to sign with the Pistons this offseason. “Detroit was the team that stood out to me the most, so when they called me on opening night of free agency I didn’t waste any time.”
This will be Smith’s 10th NBA team in his short career. He will be entering his seventh season this upcoming year in the NBA. In only one season has he spent the full year with the team he began the season with. The 2013-14 Phoenix Suns. While the number of teams a player has been on is often looked at as a knock, Smith believes the exact opposite. “From team to team I’ve learned something. I think I’m a better player because of it,” he said. Year after year Smith grew as a player, but found it challenging to stick with a team.
In the 2014-15 season, Smith started to show how good of a point guard he was. He played over 27 minutes per game with the Philadelphia 76ers and averaged 12 points and 6.1 assists per game. He showed an impressive game, as a quick point guard who could run an offense effectively. The only problem, his efficiency. He shot 39.8% from the field, 30.9% from the three-point line, and 58.3% from the free throw line. Smith’s numbers were solid, but his lack of efficiency made him less effective.
After that season he went on to sign a contract with the Washington Wizards but before the season even began, he was waived by Washington. The New Orleans Pelicans quickly claimed him off waivers to begin to the 2015-16 campaign with an opening day roster decimated by injury. He played 27 games with the Pelicans last season, averaging 13.9 points, nine assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game. He was also shooting the ball at a much more efficient rate, although his three-point shooting did not get better. He even hit 76.7% of his free throws with the Pelicans.
Smith was having a fantastic year with New Orleans, before he was suddenly shipped back to the last place Philadelphia 76ers on Christmas Eve. While he re-joined a guaranteed lottery team, Smith instantly improved the Sixers with his presence on the court.
Before Ish Smith made his return to Philadelphia, the Sixers were a league worst 1-30. Once he arrived, the Sixers instantly became a better team. Did Ish Smith suddenly make them a playoff contending team? No, but he made them much more respectable, and helped them play more competitive basketball. The Sixers won their first game Smith appeared in, beating the Phoenix Suns 111-104. Smith started in that game, racking up 14 points and five assists in over 31 minutes. They won six of their first fifteen games with Smith on the roster.
Smith helped change the way the Sixers were playing, and made them a better team overall. Philadelphia was bad last year, but Smith is grateful for his opportunity there. “It really did grow me up. I think I learned more about myself than anything being there in Philly,” Smith said. “Coach (Brett) Brown was great for me. That whole coaching staff was really really good for me.” There’s no doubt that playing in Philadelphia was good for Smith. He enjoyed the most success he has had on the court as a player, although the Sixers had their struggles.
He had the opportunity to be the starting point guard, where he blossomed and helped showcase players such as Nerlens Noel and Robert Covington’s potential. Specifically with them, Smith helped them become better basketball players. 20.9% of Smith’s passes went to them. On passes from Smith to Noel, Nerlens shot 60.3% from the field, the highest shooting percentage on the Sixers, per NBA.com. Smith makes players better, every coach wants a floor general that does that.
Smith enjoyed his time with the Sixers, and made a real connection with Brett Brown. “I text or call him at least once a month, we stay in touch,” Smith said. But he wanted to find a home in free agency, and he did so when he signed with the Detroit Pistons. “The stability, it feels good,” Smith said on signing with the Pistons early on in free agency.
Entering free agency, Smith was determined to find a team where not only himself, but the team as a whole could succeed. “Everybody 1-15 can play. When you have a team like that, where everybody can play and be productive and be really good,” Smith said. He mentioned the young age of the team being a positive and something that drew him to Detroit. “We’re all around the same age. From 20 years old to 28, 29, 30 years old, it’s rare that you get a team like that. When you got a team that is growing and you can grow with them, it’s rare that you get the opportunity to be with a team like that.”
Smith, 28, will be the oldest player on the Pistons this upcoming season. He will be relied upon to take over a leadership role that was last year filled by the likes of Anthony Tolliver and Joel Anthony.
There is much more that went into Smith signing with the Pistons than the age of the team and their rising talent. The Pistons well documented chemistry along with their success played a key role in bringing Smith to Detroit. “I knew these guys from last year. That’s why I was really intrigued about coming here. Everybody really really impressed me,” Smith said.
There was also another key factor, a former teammate of Smith’s who has been of friend of his over their careers. That friend, Marcus Morris, played with Smith on the Phoenix Suns during the 2014-2015 season. “Me and Marcus were together in Phoenix so we always communicate and check up on each other. Before free agency started, he had actually talked to me when we played during the year. He was working on me last year during the season and he called me again in free agency.”
Smith had high praise when I spoke to him about Morris. “He’s super underrated. He’s a leader. The thing about him is he commands leadership here. He brings toughness to the floor,” Smith said. “To me he’s one of the best one on one players in the league. He’s really really talented. He’s taken his game to another level.”
Morris had a career year with the Pistons last season. He averaged 14.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He shot 44% from the three-point line last year in the second half of last season as well.
Smith is ready to get to work with the Pistons, and truly believes that Detroit is going to be one of the best teams in the NBA next season. “We don’t have a ceiling. There is no ceiling. I’m not saying that to be facetious but I really do believe that we have no ceiling,” he said.
While Smith will be the backup point guard behind Reggie Jackson, he still will play a major role on the team. Jackson played just over 30 minutes per game. Smith will play about 18 minutes per game next season, giving him a lot of time on the court to affect the game. He will be featured in a second unit with Reggie Bullock, Stanley Johnson, Jon Leuer, and either Aron Baynes or cult hero Boban Marjanovic, although Baynes is the likely backup to Andre Drummond.
That is a solid second unit, and a major upgrade compared to Detroit’s bench unit last season. Smith replaces Steve Blake who a veteran who is closer to the end of his career than the start and his numbers last year showed it. Jon Leuer replaces Anthony Tolliver, who signed with the Sacramento Kings. Reggie Bullock is the presumed backup shooting guard, although Detroit went with a 9-man rotation last season. When Bullock received minutes last season, he was very effective, and it seems very likely he cracks Detroit’s permanent rotation this year. Smith is going to be playing alongside good players, which is going to help him become a better player than he already is.
Smith has been preparing hard this offseason, as he is ready to help the team that he believes has no ceiling. “Three-point shots and mid-range shot,” Smith said on what he has been working on the most over the summer. “I’ve improved so much on my mid-range shot.” He’s confident in his improved jump shot, which he believes will play a major part in his success this upcoming season. “At the end of the day I can always get to my mid-range shot,” Smith said. He also realizes he has more room to grow in other aspects to his game, but he’s continued to work on becoming a better player. “I think I have to get better defensively,” he said. Smith never has and will likely never be an All-Defensive Team level defender, but he has gotten better over the last few seasons.
Overall, Smith is excited to get to work with the Pistons, and especially fellow point guard, Reggie Jackson. “I tell Reggie all the time, there’s no first or second point guard, it’s 1A and 1B.” Smith is determined to be just as good as Jackson this upcoming season, as he knows how important point guard play is in order for the Pistons to be successful. “There can’t be any drop-offs when Reggie comes out,” he said. “We always talk about how we can’t have any drop off. We giving you 48 minutes of hell. We’re going to be really really difficult to beat.”
Detroit is going to be tough to beat. After getting to the playoffs for the first time last year in six seasons, Detroit is a team on the rise. The won 44 games last season, and only improved. Smith will be a major factor in Detroit’s competitiveness.
“We got a long way to go,” Smith admits on the Pistons. “There’s another level for us, and we’re going in the right direction.”
