Detroit Pistons: 3 goals for Ish Smith in 2018-19

The Detroit Pistons signed Ish Smith in 2016, and he’s gotten better both seasons with them. Under a new head coach, what doe his ceiling look like?

Detroit Pistons‘ backup point guard Ish Smith has become something of a super-sub in recent years. Similar to how Reggie Jackson developed with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he’s capitalized on injuries to the starter ahead of him. At age 30, heading into the final year of his three-year contract, the 2018-19 season will be huge for him. While he may not be able to land starting money this offseason, he can get respectable backup money for one final contract.

Smith represents a more team-friendly style of play with his pass-first mentality. For his career, he’s averaged 7.2 assists per 36 minutes. He’s proven in the past that he can start when necessary, which is important for someone behind a player like Jackson, who regularly deals with injuries. With Dwane Casey now at the helm, Smith will be given more opportunities to run the second unit while they bring along Bruce Brown Jr. slowly.

The Pistons have a chance to make some noise this year if everyone stays healthy. While they won’t compete for a title, their size could cause issues for a lot of teams. With Casey pulling the strings, they should improve at least slightly on defense and offense. Smith may not be the starter, but he has a chance to make a big name for himself around the league as a strong backup if he can accomplish these three goals.