Weighing in at a mammoth 350 pounds, Georgetown senior Josh Smith’s weight tended to be a plague on his résumé for himself as well as an NBA team.
The 6-foot-10 center has problems hustling back on defense, and staying on the court for more than 25 minutes per game is not a simple task. With conditioning a major issue, Smith would therefore struggle to be a major contributor against fast paced teams like the Golden State Warriors or Houston Rockets.
The pick and roll is no different. Smith is not adept at reading screens in effort to either hedge out or switch onto the ball handler. If there is a switch called, he is incapable of playing solid defense on a much quicker guard and typically is beaten into the lane.
Even at his size, Smith would most likely be drafted in the second round if not for his age. At 23, most of the fellow future draftees were first or second year students in college the past year. As a fifth year senior, NBA teams may be scared off by the lack of time for him to develop. This should not prevent a team from signing him, but a selection in the second round is unlikely.
As a transfer from UCLA, the Georgetown center has been a force on offense in the new Big East’s first two years. Due to his massive figure, he is able to bully defenders down in the post and constantly draw fouls or create easy scoring opportunities. Per 40 minutes, Smith averaged 21.0 points and 11.2 rebounds.
He drew about 6.0 fouls per 40 minutes and shot over 70 percent inside the lane. Unlike most post players, Smith did not struggle from the free throw line. His 60 percent as a fifth year senior was the best of his career and one of the higher percentages in the Big East for big men.
He has the size and the offensive skill set to be a key member of an NBA rotation. That talent has been obvious since his freshman year at UCLA, but so has the lack of conditioning.
Smith may not be drafted, but expect him to be signed for the potential of an offensive spark off the bench. If his outside jumper improves and he is able to shed some of the unnecessary weight that encumbered him throughout college, Smith could make a mark as an offensively favored forward off the bench.
Conditioning is a difficult issue to overcome. Not to say it is impossible and it has been achieved before, but it will take time for him to get in "NBA shape" and produce for an NBA roster.
