NBA Trade Rumors: Josh Smith Staying With Detroit Pistons After All

NBA Trade Rumors: Josh Smith Staying With Detroit Pistons After All

Josh Smith, despite rumors to the contrary, will be staying with Detroit this season. "Contract value aside... sure. Josh gets a lot of heat because of his shot selection, but he is still one of the top 75 or so players in the league. I think it always comes down to what do you have to give up to get him," says Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler, but "I want to be clear the Pistons are not shopping Josh. In fact they are hoping to get a more efficient Josh this season." The 28-year-old Smith signed on a reported four-year $54 million deal with the Detroit Pistons July 10 last year.

Stan Van Gundy, head coach and president of the Detroit Pistons, has a lot of respect for Smith according to Detroit News. Said he: "I think he's working hard. He's trying to really step up defensively and take some leadership. Even more so today, made some really good passes. He's getting back down the floor, trying to do the things we want done. People notice those things." However, the head coach has some reservations about the power forward's present shot selection. According to the Detroit Free Press, Van Gundy said: "I think Josh has a very good understanding of the shots he needs to shoot that are not only best for him, but best for our team. He's one of the elite guys in the league around the basket. Last year, stuff inside, right at the rim, in two straight years, he has been 71% and 77%. There's very few guys at that level. So he needs to get more of those. He knows that. He also understands he really doesn't need to shoot threes for this team." Smith last year shot 265 3-pointers, or 3.4 per game, with an average 26.4% conversion rate. So basically, Van Gundy wants Smith to play near the basket where he excels offensively and defensively, and take fewer jump shots where he may not be so great.

Van Gundy told the Detroit Free Press that he and Smith already had a good talk this weekend. He said that Smith "has an understanding of how he needs to play for our team; it's the discipline to do it. He's a smart guy. He knows and he's not trying to fight you about anything.... What I understand and he understands (is) that's habit that has been built over time. It's not going to change tomorrow. I have to stay on him, and he understands I have to stay on him."

 

 

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