Team, Morey hope lightning does strike twice with Smith
As Josh Smith chatted happily in the hallway outside the Rockets’ locker room, guard Pat Beverley let out a loud: “Smoove! My man! Smoove. Welcome back, homie!”
The smile that had stretched across Smith’s face grew a bit wider to hear again about how happy his former and current teammates were to have him back.
“They’re happy,” Smith said. “But I don’t think they are as happy as I am.” It was close competition. Seeking to recapture the lost magic of last season, the Rockets on Friday made the move that provided a muchneeded jolt a year ago.
The Rockets reacquired Smith, a 6-9 forward, barely half a season after he left as a free agent to get more playing time with the Los Angeles Clippers than he thought available in Houston only to fall out of their
rotation.
“I’m excited to get back on the floor and contribute and play for some guys that were newfound brothers to me last year,” Smith said. “Just to be able to play with that excitement and happiness that’s needed in order to be successful in this business.”
Smith, 30, averaged 12 points and six rebounds in 55 games with the Rockets last season and helped key their Game 6 comeback and second-round series win over the Clippers. He is averaging 5.7 points and 3.9 rebounds this season.
Bad fit with Clippers
The Rockets offered him a larger contract than the minimum deal he took with the Clippers, but he thought he would have a more defined role with the Clippers to help set him up for a long-term deal.
“I don’t regret anything,” Smith said. “People make mistakes. I’m just happy to be back.”
The teams exchanged the rights to players not in either teams’ plans, with the Rockets sending the rights to Maarty Leunen to Los Angeles and the Rockets reacquiring the rights to Sergei Lishouk, a 2004 second-round pick whose rights have been dealt six times including three times to the Rockets. The Rockets will also receive cash consideration to pay the remainder of Smith’s salary.
“We love Josh, what he was able to do for us last year,” Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He brings another level of skill. He can make plays for everybody else. He’s very versatile. He should be comfortable with what we try to do, what we’re trying to get done.”
As with a season ago, when the Rockets signed Smith as a free agent Dec. 24, they hope he can fill the void left by injuries. This time they need more.
Then, forward Terrence Jones was out with center Dwight Howard struggling with knee issues that eventually would cost him half the regular season. This season, Donatas Motiejunas is out with Howard out Friday with a sprained left ankle.
Beyond filling in for injured players, the Rockets needed veteran help with the frontcourt rotation limited to second-year center Clint Capela, Jones and rookie Montrezl Harrell, who is questionable to play with a sore shoulder.
“Josh is an extremely intelligent basketball player,” Bickerstaff said. “His IQ is through the roof. His understanding of other team’s systems, other player’s tendencies. He’s going to help us from that standpoint.”
As with last season, Smith arrives after failing to fit with another team to the point the Clippers, as with the Pistons, were willing to pay off his contract. For Smith, returning to the Rockets offers a chance to go back to what worked.
Accentuate the positive
“It’s like a breath of fresh air,” Smith said. “You’re going to have critics all your life that are going to root against you. You can’t focus on the negativity.”
There was none of that Friday, with the Rockets thinking about what was in the renewed hope it could be again.
“We wanted Josh back in the offseason,” general manager Daryl Morey said. “He was a free agent. He made the choice he made. We’re very excited to have him back. He was a big part of what we did last year and he can be again.”