Signing Josh Smith
Since it’s hard to refer to Cole Aldrich as any sort of “home run” and keep a straight face, we can comfortably say that signing Josh Smith to a one-year deal at the veteran’s minimum ($1.5 million) was absolutely a grand slam.
It wasn’t long ago that Smoove was still a member of the Detroit Pistons and viewed as a hopeless waste of his full potential. He was the guy who spent far too much time chucking up ill-advised three-point shots and not enough time in the paint, where he was at his most efficient.
If Clippers get Paul Pierce to go with Lance Stephenson, re-sign DeAndre Jordan and hit a home run with a veteran's minimum guy or 2...wow.
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) June 21, 2015
But then his career got the resurgence it needed in Houston, particularly in the playoffs when Smith suddenly started knocking down threes and all his best attributes — defense, athleticism and his connection with Dwight Howard — came to the forefront again. If the Clippers are getting THAT Josh Smith at the veteran’s minimum, that’s a monumental pickup.
Smoove won’t be perfect. He’s still going to brick ill-advised threes every now and then, and on a team with so many…uh…vibrant personalities, there’s a chance for some clashes between CP3, Born Ready, Jordan and Smoove.
But winning cures all ills, and Josh Smith joining the Clippers because he wanted to win — by leaving the team that beat the Clips in the playoffs — is a definite winning move for a contender whose biggest weakness last season was depth.
Grade: A-
Next: From L.A.L. To L.A.C.