More About Josh Smith

[George O'Brien]

The following was taken from an interview of Howard West, a top HS coach whose team has played Smith. West has sent 20 players to Division IA schools.

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Daniel Shar: Now I kind of want to focus on some of the guys who aren’t in the league yet, specifically, Josh Smith. Please just tell me what you noticed about this kid.

Howard West: Well, he had a lot of similar characteristics to Lebron. He’s extremely strong, can jump, I mean he carries his 240, 245, whatever he weighs, I mean he carries it well. He’s quick, very explosive, I’m sure the pros will like that explosive power. Now a lot of people questioned Lebron’s jump shot, and some people are questioning his, but the night he played against us, he shot the ball well. Somebody said he made three threes the other day over at the Greensboro Coliseum, but he’s the kind of guy, I think, who can take advantage of whatever the other team gives him. You take away his jumper, he’s going to put it down, get to the rim on you. He’s not going to look for any one shot all night long, he’s good enough that he’s going to take advantage of any kind of defensive weakness that you show, because he thinks. He’s a smart player, he reads. Now the difference between he and Lebron, is the teammates. Lebron had a good supporting cast. Smith has great talented players out there with him, so it’s hard for him to just go out and totally dominate that game when you got guys like Rondo, all those guys are really good players in their own right.

Daniel Shar: Did Smith display any kind of mid-range game against you all? Because that’s one thing that people have been questioning about him.

Howard West: Oh yeah, he hit some fifteen-foot jumpers off the baseline. Got into the lane, pulled up from twelve or ten feet, you know, that night against us, he basically did whatever he wanted to, and of course once he gets close to the basket, he can just jump over the top of people.

Daniel Shar: Say you were making a team and you had to choose between Lebron, Melo, and Smith. Who is your first pick?

Howard West: Lebron.

Daniel Shar: And second?

Howard West: Melo. You know, the only major difference I can see, why Smith would be third, is that I didn’t see him play with lesser people. He actually could be as good as those other guys, but with his supporting cast he doesn’t have to do all that much. And see Melo had some pretty decent players playing with him too, but you could tell that he was the main guy on the team.

 

[George O'Brien]

Originally posted by George O'Brien
The following was taken from an interview of Howard West, a top HS coach whose team has played Smith. West has sent 20 players to Division IA schools.

draft city

Daniel Shar: Now I kind of want to focus on some of the guys who aren’t in the league yet, specifically, Josh Smith. Please just tell me what you noticed about this kid.

Howard West: Well, he had a lot of similar characteristics to Lebron. He’s extremely strong, can jump, I mean he carries his 240, 245, whatever he weighs, I mean he carries it well. He’s quick, very explosive, I’m sure the pros will like that explosive power. Now a lot of people questioned Lebron’s jump shot, and some people are questioning his, but the night he played against us, he shot the ball well. Somebody said he made three threes the other day over at the Greensboro Coliseum, but he’s the kind of guy, I think, who can take advantage of whatever the other team gives him. You take away his jumper, he’s going to put it down, get to the rim on you. He’s not going to look for any one shot all night long, he’s good enough that he’s going to take advantage of any kind of defensive weakness that you show, because he thinks. He’s a smart player, he reads. Now the difference between he and Lebron, is the teammates. Lebron had a good supporting cast. Smith has great talented players out there with him, so it’s hard for him to just go out and totally dominate that game when you got guys like Rondo, all those guys are really good players in their own right.

Daniel Shar: Did Smith display any kind of mid-range game against you all? Because that’s one thing that people have been questioning about him.

Howard West: Oh yeah, he hit some fifteen-foot jumpers off the baseline. Got into the lane, pulled up from twelve or ten feet, you know, that night against us, he basically did whatever he wanted to, and of course once he gets close to the basket, he can just jump over the top of people.

Daniel Shar: Say you were making a team and you had to choose between Lebron, Melo, and Smith. Who is your first pick?

Howard West: Lebron.

Daniel Shar: And second?

Howard West: Melo. You know, the only major difference I can see, why Smith would be third, is that I didn’t see him play with lesser people. He actually could be as good as those other guys, but with his supporting cast he doesn’t have to do all that much. And see Melo had some pretty decent players playing with him too, but you could tell that he was the main guy on the team.

The Draft city profile raves about Smith's athleticism, but warns that he is very raw:

Josh Smith Weaknesses

Raw. So very raw. Smith, as amazing a prospect he is, does not have anything amounting to a complete game (on offense or defense). While he can leap high, that is generally all he can do on offense. His handle is not yet proficient enough to be able to drive against the better defenders in the NBA. Nor is his outside shot consistent enough (some games he can get very hot though) to deserve respect from a smart defender who would rather lay off and prevent the drive, daring Smith to shoot. Most of his scoring comes near the basket where he can simply sky over the smaller defenders or from putbacks. He cannot yet create his own shot consistently. His defense, other than the eerie shotblocking ability, is atrocious. For all his speed and athleticism he doesn't have the lateral quickness to play the faster players on the perimeter. He is also very lax on defense, barely trying at times. He simply cannot be asked to cover any better than average offensive player on the perimeter. The key in his weaknesses can be summed up in one word really: consistency. He needs more consistency instead of simply the flashes that he does show.