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Philadelphia 76ers Shed Identity In Trade For Ish Smith, Build For Future

By Jake Hyman

Nov 17, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Ish Smith (4) shoots over Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari (8) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Denver defeated the Pelicans 115-98. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 17, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Ish Smith (4) shoots over Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari (8) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Denver defeated the Pelicans 115-98. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Philadelphia 76ers got an upgrade in Ish Smith and shed an identity in the process.

For better or worse, the Philadelphia 76ers are undergoing a metamorphosis. This became evident with the hiring of new chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo on Dec. 7. Media and fans’ viewpoints of the Sixers changed, as Philadelphia looked to refrain from “tanking” and follow the blueprint other NBA teams laid out by acquiring veterans to help aid the youth.

Thursday could be labeled as the first step on this new route Philadelphia will take. Reported by Yahoo Sports’ Marc J. Spears, the Sixers brought in a familiar face in point guard Ish Smith and gave up two second-round picks to have a second chance at his services.

This doesn’t follow Philadelphia’s game plan over the last three seasons. For general manager Sam Hinkie, trading draft picks for a player they could have re-signed in the offseason doesn’t fit his mantra. It’s recently been noted that newly added associate coach Mike D’Antoni might have had a say in the process of acquiring Smith.

Hinkie has prized draft picks above all during his reign as GM, especially second-round picks. He’s made 10 selections in the second round over the past two drafts and has incorporated some of those players like Jerami Grant and Richaun Holmes into the regular rotation. Now, the Sixers are devoid of second-round picks for the next two seasons.

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However, with the influx of possible first-round talent via the 2016 NBA Draft and through free agency, second-round talents become less of a factor than in the previous two seasons. In 2014 and 2015, a player drafted 31-60 in the draft would be likely to find playing time on the Sixers. Now it looks like they’re shedding their asset-accumulation identity and instead, are using their cache of picks to acquire proven talent.

Smith joined the 76ers organization last year as a nomad, of sorts, in the association. On his eighth team in just five seasons, Smith showed the ability to have staying power in the NBA.

It didn’t take long for Smith to find heavy minutes on a Sixers roster looking for a replacement for the previously traded Michael Carter-Williams. The Wake Forest product averaged a career-high 27.1 MPG, 12.1 PPG and 6.0 APG for the struggling organization. He operated as a salvation and gave the players around him a paramount boost after the departure of one of the team’s top players in MCW.

Smith was a primary figure in Nerlens Noel‘s massive surge late in the season. Per The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey, Noel put up numbers in March (243 points, 190 rebounds, 41 steals, 35 blocks) matched only by legend Hakeem Olajuwon in a single month. The addition of Smith allowed Noel to have a contemporary pick-and-roll teammate who could find bigs curling around picks.

Noel also gave Smith a massive compliment, as the 26-year-old guard was transforming Noel’s game:

"“I love that kid,” said Noel, via Andrew Porter of CBS Philly. “He just finds me whenever I’m open and honestly, he’s the first true point guard I’ve ever really played with.”"

Whether or not he threw shade at his previous lead guard teammates, Noel’s game blossomed, as he became a two-way big from initially being labeled a rim protector to begin his career.

The graph below illustrates the impact Smith had on Noel and helping his acclimation to the professional level.

In a myriad of categories, Smith had a positive impact on the rookie. Noel also heightened his offensive ability with the 5’10” point guard on the floor. Noel shot 53.4 percent with Smith on the floor compared to 39.8 percent without him. An area where Noel excels on offense resides near the basket, due to his offensive limitations that leveled his ceiling coming out of college.

Noel took over 68 percent of his shots last season from five feet and in and looked to be more active on the offensive glass than in the 25 games he’s played in so far this season. With Noel operating at the point, Noel had a field goal percentage of 64.9 percent in the aforementioned area, as Smith repeatedly located the big man near the basket.

Last season, in general, Smith’s productivity led to the amplified minutes he received from head coach Brett Brown. He helped on both sides of the ball, as the Sixers had both a higher offensive rating and defensive rating with the diminutive point guard on the floor.

Similarly in the 2015-16 season, Smith has been the ideal facilitator with the pension to make players around him more effective. He was brought in to help the Pelicans salvage their point guard depth issues due to injuries. However, he progressed his label to become a high-end role player for New Orleans to start the season.

Smith’s debut in NOLA signified that GM Dell Demps made a savvy deal getting the journeyman from Washington before the start of the 2015-16 season. Off the bench, Smith put a major scare in the Warriors going off for 17 points, nine assists and three steals. As starter Nate Robinson failed to enter the scoring column, Smith was once again providing more than his anticipated value.

The most vital facet Smith exhibited as a Pelican, similar to his situation in Philadelphia last season, was making talented players around him play more efficient basketball. A player that oozes talent and ability benefited from Smith’s time playing in the Big Easy.

Anthony Davis has made substantial progress in every season since his rookie year, upgrading his offensive arsenal incrementally and getting more shredded to improve his athleticism. Like Noel, Davis saw substantial gains.

Encompassing the star role on the struggling and underperforming New Orleans Pelicans, Davis’ production has dipped slightly in his fourth year in the league. Without Smith on the floor, the numbers evidently were decreasing as a result of the absence of the point guard.

When Smith was finding his teammates and setting up Davis effectively, the 6-10 behemoth was shooting at a more efficient rate.

Smith is a product of why you take base stats with a grain of salt. Averaging just 4.2 PPG, 1.7 RPG and 2.6 APG throughout his career, the newest Sixers addition’s stat line doesn’t scream difference maker. Delve into his propensity to make his teammates more effective and it’s easier to understand why Philadelphia traded draft picks for a player they could have re-signed in the offseason.

He’s entering a barren situation, with management hoping he can turn around a point guard contingency that ranks in the bottom third of the league in a bevy of categories. However, Smith wasn’t brought in just to provide a slight boost to the lead guard position.

The newest Sixer addition is trying to create magic with another big in Jahlil Okafor similar to what he did for Noel’s game last season.

The rookie has entered an environment foreign to him, where losing happens regularly and production becomes a rigorous effort. Okafor’s currently leading the team in both scoring (17.6 PPG) and rebounding (7.9 RPG), but has found difficulty converting efficiently from the field.

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His 45.8 percent field goal percentage is a drastic decrease from the 66.4 percent he shot from the floor during his freshman year at Duke last season. Unable to rely on other starters for consistent scoring help and the ability for them to locate him in ideal situations, Okafor hasn’t displayed his full potential. He’s fifth on the team in touches per game, but has scored the most points when he’s received the rock outside of Carl Landry.

Last year, Smith made it a goal to consistently look for Noel down low or cutting to the basket. With a more offensively gifted and polished interior teammate to work with, Smith’s attention could be shifted towards Okafor and boosting his shooting efficiency.

Smith’s motor and quickness might clash with Okafor’s methodical tendencies, but he already has the rapport with Noel, whose athleticism meshes positively with Smith’s burst with the ball.

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If the 26-year-old journeyman can help develop Philadelphia’s duo on the block and create opportunities for their shooters (Hollis Thompson, Robert Covington, Nik Stauskas), he’ll make the first decision of management’s new regime look smart.

*All stats are from ESPN.com, nba.com, sports-reference.com, or hoopstats.com unless otherwise noted.