Atlanta Hawks: Who are your 5 favorite Hawks?
May 25, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Josh Smith (5) dribbles during the second half against the Golden State Warriors in game four of the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs. at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
I’m a sucker for J-Smoove. His recent career has been a bit of a soap opera episode which can make people forget how good he was as a Hawk. Josh Smith could do everything in the prime of his career, well, everything except make three-pointers. He was a beast in transition, he could grab rebounds, he could block shots and he was a solid defensive player when he was engaged and focused.
For his career in Atlanta, Smith averaged 15.3 points, 8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 2 blocks per game on 46.5 percent shooting. That’s not too shabby. His 28.3 percent mark from three-point line, 2.8 turnovers per game and his sometimes questionable shot selection may cause fans to remember him much less favorably than he deserves. Especially considering how publicly embarrassing his post-Hawks career has been.
His biggest shortcoming may have been how the team performed in general while Smith was a part of the core. The teams with Smith and Joe Johnson leading the way always seemed muddled in a constant state of mediocrity despite being extremely talented.
Still, during that time Smith was a joy to watch at times. Whether it was a rim-shaking dunk or a thunderous chase-down block, Smith’s athleticism always left fans awestruck.
Next: Top 5 Hawks Point Guards of All-Time
More from Soaring Down South
- Start, Bench, Cut: Sorting through the Hawks’ power forward options
- Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic reacts to earning FIBA World Cup championship bid
- When does training camp start for the Atlanta Hawks?
- Grade the trade: Hawks deal Trae Young to Clippers in shocking proposal
- Dejounte Murray rips NBA 2K after Atlanta Hawks ratings reveal