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Joshua Smith (basketball)

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For the NBA player, see Josh Smith.
Joshua Smith
Smith with Toyama Grouses in 2018
Free agent
PositionCenter
Personal information
Born (1992-05-14) May 14, 1992 (age 32)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight290 lb (132 kg)
Career information
High schoolKentwood (Covington, Washington)
College
NBA draft2015: undrafted
Playing career2015–present
Career history
2015–2017Rio Grande Valley Vipers
2017TNT KaTropa
2017–2018Kyoto Hannaryz
2018TNT KaTropa
2018–2023Toyama Grouses
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball Reference

Joshua LaTrell Smith (born May 14, 1992)[1] is an American professional basketball player for the Toyama Grouses of the Japanese B.League. He began his college basketball career with the UCLA Bruins before transferring in the middle of his third season, finishing his career with the Georgetown Hoyas.

Smith was a highly regarded center playing basketball in high school in Washington. He led his team to a state title, and he received multiple individual honors, including Associated Press' state player of the year. He attended college at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he was one of the top freshman players in the Pac-10 Conference. He struggled with his weight at UCLA, and he quit the team in the middle of his junior year. He transferred to Georgetown, where he played two seasons. After college, he played two seasons in the NBA Development League (known now as the NBA G League) before playing overseas in the Philippines and Japan.

Early life

Smith was born in Seattle and grew up in Kent, Washington.[1] He was already 5-foot (1.5 m) tall at age five. In the eighth grade, he wrote a report on UCLA Bruins basketball coach John Wooden, and afterwards became a fan of UCLA.[2]

Smith learned to use his height and weight to his advantage while playing for his Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team, the Seattle Rotary, and then at Kentwood High School.[3] He was 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) in his freshman year, and grew 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) each year until he stood 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) by the end of his junior season.[2] As a senior, he averaged 23.2 points, 15 rebounds and four assists, and led Kentwood to Washington's Class 4A title. He was named Washington's player of the year by Associated Press and earned McDonald’s All-American honors and selection into the Jordan Brand Classic.[4][5]

He was ranked by ESPN RISE as the No. 1 center recruit in the nation;[5] Rivals.com ranked him at No. 3, and Scout.com ranked him as No. 4.[6] Smith considered staying home and attending the nearby University of Washington, but he said he "couldn't pass up the opportunity" to attend the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).[2]

College career

UCLA

Smith against USC in 2012

At Smith's first practice with UCLA, coach Ben Howland expressed excitement over Smith's length and size. "When he is planted on the block, you're not moving him," he said. However, Howland was concerned about Smith's mobility, as he weighed 305 pounds (138 kg) after losing 50 pounds (23 kg) over the summer.[7] Smith provided UCLA an inside game they had lacked in recent years.[2] He played in 33 games in 2010–11, starting in 15, and averaged 10.9 points and 6.3 rebounds in 21.7 minutes.[8] He was named to the Pac-10 Conference's All-Freshman team, and showed tremendous potential.[9] However, he had foul trouble and struggled with his conditioning.[8] After starting 13 of his first 15 games, he came off the bench in the next 16 to avoid fouling out.[10][11] He became a dominant presence late in the season as the Bruins advanced to the third round of the 2011 NCAA tournament. In his last four games, including starts in both tournament games, Smith averaged 13 points and 27 minutes a game.[8][11] UCLA was eliminated 73–65 by the Florida Gators. Afterwards, a fatigued Smith said, "I let my team down today."[12] Howland thought Smith had a future playing professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA), "provided he does certain things." The coach believed Smith would work on improving his conditioning.[13]

Entering his sophomore year, Smith was generally considered a favorite to be named All-Pac-10.[14] However, he did not do much to improve his game in the offseason, and he began 2011–12 at roughly the same size if not larger; his conditioning affected his production. His playing time declined, and his fouls per 40 minutes went from a suspect 5.8 as a freshman to an awful 7.3.[9] Smith's average that season fell to 9.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 17.2 minutes a game.[8] As his fitness level deteriorated, he was not able to play for extended periods of time, and was instead rotated in for two- or three-minute stints.[3] Smith played a total of just 17 minutes in two Pac-10 tournament games.[14] In spite of his fitness and focus issues, some coaches in the Pac-12 (the Pac-10 had expanded by then) considered him the conference's top NBA prospect.[15]

He showed improved discipline entering his junior season, having lost 15 pounds (6.8 kg) since the end of the previous season.[9] His goal was to play 25 to 30 minutes a game.[8] Citing "personal reasons", Smith quit UCLA after six games of their 2012–13 season. He averaged 5.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 13.5 minutes, as his production dropped after each season at UCLA.[6] He was the 11th player to leave the UCLA program since 2008;[16] in early 2012, Sports Illustrated reported a lack of discipline at UCLA under Howland.[3][17]

Georgetown

Smith playing for Georgetown in the 2013 Armed Forces Classic.

Smith transferred to Georgetown University, enrolling in January 2013. He practiced with the Hoyas basketball team, but was not allowed to play due to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) transfer rules.[3] He was granted eligibility by the NCAA to play in 2013–14.[18] Listed at 350 pounds (160 kg), he labored up and down the court, and was limited to playing a few minutes at a time.[19] After playing in the Hoyas first two conference games, Smith missed the remaining 20 games of the season after January 4, 2014, due to academic ineligibility.[18][19] At the time of his last game, the Hoyas were 10–3, and Smith was averaging 11.5 points but only 3.4 rebounds in 20 minutes. The team was 8–12 in his absence, finishing the season 18–15.[19]

Smith regained his eligibility prior to the 2014–15 season.[19] He bounced back nicely, and was named one of 15 candidates for the inaugural Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, given to the top center in college basketball.[20] He finished the season ranked second on the team in scoring (10.8) and rebounding (5.8), and was invited to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.[21]

Professional career

NBA D-League

After going undrafted in the 2015 NBA draft, Smith played with the Miami Heat in the 2015 NBA Summer League.[22] On September 21, 2015, he signed with the Houston Rockets.[23][24] After appearing in seven preseason games, he was waived on October 24 in the Rockets' final round of cuts before the regular season.[25][26]

On November 2, 2015, Smith was acquired by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League as an affiliate player of the Rockets.[27] As a rookie in 2015–16, he averaged 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 45 games for the Vipers.[28] As the season progressed, Smith's weight increased and his playing time fell, and he was nearly cut by the Vipers.[29]

During the 2016 offseason, Smith dropped 56 pounds (25 kg) to 327 pounds (148 kg) after working out with a new trainer in preparation for the Las Vegas Summer League.[29] In July 2016, he joined the Milwaukee Bucks summer league team.[30] On October 31, 2016, he was reacquired by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.[31]

Overseas

On May 17, 2017, Smith signed with TNT KaTropa of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).[32]

Smith played for Kyoto Hannaryz of the B.League in 2017–18, before returning to TNT in 2018.[33] Late that year, he returned to Japan after signing a two-year contract with the Toyama Grouses.[34]

Career statistics

Professional

Legend
  GP Games played  MPG  Minutes per game  FG%  Field goal percentage
 3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game
 PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high     Led the league
Year Team League GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2015–16 Rio Grande Valley Vipers NBA D-League 45 16.5 .615 .000 .660 4.7 1.2 .6 .6 8.9
2016–17 TNT Katropa PBA 15 24.4 .580 .000 .535 11.2 2.6 .9 1.0 19.1
2017–18 Kyoto Hannaryz B.League 58 23.6 .650 .000 .631 9.4 2.1 .4 .6 16.8
2018 TNT Katropa PBA 8 30.6 .711 .000 .618 11.4 2.8 1.0 1.1 17.8
2018–19 Toyama Grouses B.League 62 31.6 .656 .000 .672 10.7 2.7 1.1 .6 19.7
Career All Leagues 188 24.9 .642 .000 .637 8.9 2.2 .8 .6 16.1

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2010–11 UCLA 33 15 21.7 .555 — .613 6.3 .6 .8 1.0 10.9
2011–12 UCLA 32 9 17.2 .574 — .590 4.9 .4 .6 .7 9.9
2012–13 UCLA 6 0 13.5 .611 — .474 4.2 .3 1.2 .5 5.2
2013–14 Georgetown 13 13 19.9 .655 .000 .635 3.4 .7 1.0 .6 11.5
2014–15 Georgetown 33 32 20.5 .621 — .646 5.8 1.2 1.0 .7 10.8
Career 117 69 19.5 .591 .000 .613 5.3 .7 .8 .8 10.4

References

  1. ^ a b "Joshua Smith Biography". UCLABruins.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d Bolch, Ben (January 8, 2011). "UCLA's Joshua Smith has been a big man on campus since he was 5". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d Clarke, Liz (November 6, 2013). "Georgetown basketball preview: Josh Smith is a reclamation project with sizable upside". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 12, 2014.
  4. ^ "Bremerton's Flora, 3 Others Named to All-State Team". Kitsap Sun. Associated Press. April 1, 2010. Archived from the original on February 18, 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Kentwood's Joshua Smith on McDonald's All-American Game roster". The Seattle Times. March 30, 2010. Archived from the original on February 24, 2014.
  6. ^ a b Holmes, Baxter (November 28, 2012). "Joshua Smith, plagued by weight issues, quits UCLA basketball team". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014.
  7. ^ Bolch, Ben (October 15, 2010). "UCLA Coach Ben Howland looking for big things from Joshua Smith". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014.
  8. ^ a b c d e Yoon, Peter (October 17, 2012). "Joshua Smith has questions to answer". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2014.
  9. ^ a b c Brennan, Eammon (July 11, 2012). "UCLA's Joshua Smith starting to get it". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2014.
  10. ^ Yoon, Peter (March 17, 2011). "Joshua Smith starting against Michigan St". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2014.
  11. ^ a b Bolch, Ben (November 8, 2011). "UCLA's Joshua Smith probably will start games on the bench". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014.
  12. ^ Plaschke, Bill (March 20, 2011). "UCLA's loss to Florida means more red eyes for men in blue, but better days are in sight". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014.
  13. ^ Rykoff, Amanda (March 19, 2011). "UCLA's Joshua Smith Takes Loss to Heart". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2014.
  14. ^ a b "Pac-12 Conference". USA Today. April 3, 2012. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  15. ^ Reid, Scott M. (April 11, 2012). "Top recruit Muhammad chooses UCLA". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014.
  16. ^ Holmes, Baxter (November 28, 2012). "Joshua Smith calls it quits at UCLA". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014.
  17. ^ Dohrmann, George (March 5, 2012). "Special Report: Not the UCLA Way". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012.
  18. ^ a b Johnson, Raphielle (January 24, 2014). "Georgetown's Joshua Smith to miss remainder of season for academic reasons". collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014.
  19. ^ a b c d Standig, Ben (August 23, 2014). "Joshua Smith's return remains a weighty matter for the Hoyas". csnwashington.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014.
  20. ^ Yoder, Glenn (February 16, 2015). "Georgetown's Joshua Smith, Duke's Jahlil Okafor among candidates for first Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award". Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  21. ^ Standig, Ben (April 7, 2015). "NBA Draft: Evaluation season tips off with Portsmouth Invitational". csnwashington.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015.
  22. ^ Lieser, Jason (July 8, 2015). "360-pound center Joshua Smith trying to prove he has NBA talent". Palm Beach Post. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  23. ^ "Official: Rockets have signed..." Twitter. September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  24. ^ Richardson, Tamberlyn (September 17, 2015). "Houston Rockets Sign Joshua Smith to Training Camp Contract". SpaceCityScoop.com. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  25. ^ Dial Creech, Jenny (October 24, 2015). "Rockets report: Smith, Kazemi cut; roster at 14". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 23, 2016.
  26. ^ Feigen, Jonathan (October 23, 2015). "Rockets have one more cut to make before deadline". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015.
  27. ^ "RGV VIPERS ANNOUNCE 2015-16 TRAINING CAMP ROSTER". NBA.com. November 2, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  28. ^ "Joshua Smith D-League Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  29. ^ a b Eisenberg, Jeff (July 8, 2016). "Meet the player who lost over 50 pounds in pursuit of NBA dream". The Vertical. Archived from the original on July 8, 2016.
  30. ^ "JOSHUA SMITH (#43)". NBA.com. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  31. ^ Chagollan, Anwar (October 31, 2016). "Vipers perform trade with Erie and finalize training camp roster". NBA.com. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  32. ^ Beltran, Nelson (May 17, 2017). "TnT Texters sign up 300-lb 6-foot-9 Smith". The Philippine Star. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  33. ^ Ballesteros, Jan (June 1, 2018). "Joshua Smith hopes to return to finals this season and win it all for TNT". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  34. ^ Terrado, Reuben (July 18, 2018). "Joshua Smith tells TNT he's just a phone call away". Spin.ph. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
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