Josh Smith, Three Point Specialist

By Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider)

Houston Rockets Staff Writer

December 22, 2014, the day Josh Smith was released by the Detroit Pistons. Many fans and media pundits believed ‘Smoove’ would never change and that his next team would deal with the same reoccurring issues: an inability to hit the jumper and the declining athleticism. However these problems would not deter Daryl Morey from taking a chance on Josh Smith, providing him with the opportunity to join a championship-contender and allowing him to play to his strengths. Smith has provided much-needed depth, size, rebounding, defense (shot-blocking ability), leadership, and athleticism. But his three point shooting, surprisingly, has become an asset for the Rockets’ offense.

Josh Smith was not a great career three point shooter before signing with the Rockets. Before this year, Smith had only two seasons of 30+% shooting from the three point line – an abysmal stat for the volume of attempts. Even with Detroit this season, he only shot 24.3% (9-37) from three.

Now let’s take a look at his numbers since joining the Houston Rockets.

December: 4-18 from three

January: 12-29 from three (30.8%)

February: 18-41 from three (43.9%)

Josh Smith’s three point percentage has increased each month, correlating positively with the number of attempts. Let’s look further into his February shot-chart: He’s 1/7 from both corners, 2/14 from the right wing, and 75% from the left wing and above-the-break area. These are great numbers for a three-point shooter, especially for a hybrid-5 who plays both front-court positions and is the main screener for the second-unit. With his role on the team in mind, I decided to go back and watch the film. Are there reasons for Smith’s improvement from three through the team’s play? Here’s what I found.

• When the play breaks-down, the Rockets have their primary ball-handler (most cases James Harden) create for either himself or for others. When this occurs, three players (usually the shooters) gravitate towards the three point-line spaced and ready to shoot. This is where Josh Smith comes into the equation. Let’s take a look at a few examples and discuss what occurs.
  
  
  In all three Vines, the shot-clock was winding down and the Rockets ball-handler decided to drive, create penetration, and kick-out to an open shooter for three. Another common theme was Josh Smith’s location. Each three-point attempt was taken from the left-wing area, a spot on the floor where Smoove is shooting 75% in February. When a shooter is successful in a certain range or area, Rockets’ coaches place them in those specific locations to maximize their abilities to score, thus creating a more efficient and optimum offense. An additional point I’d like to make is that Smith was playing as the five in most line-ups during December and January, even before Dwight went out with the knee procedure. His responsibilities included screening for Harden, Terry, or whomever was the ball-handler, and distributing off the pick and roll. These still stay with him today, but with Terrence Jones back, Smith is able to slide into the forward position and play as the stretch-4. He can come out to the three-point line and set up as a shooter, creating spacing in the Rockets motion free-flowing offense. With Smith drifting along the three-point line, mainly in the left wing/above-the-break area, Terrence Jones stays inside and plays the boards or from the post (if needed). It’ll be interesting to see if such a pattern continues with Dorsey playing alongside Smith as Terrence Jones enters the starting line-up.
• The Rockets have incorporated sets involving the stagger screen into their offense since the arrival of Coach Kevin McHale. I’ve talked about the Stagger Screen in previous posts, but here is a quick run-down. The point-guard brings up the ball with the three (usually) standing in the corner. The three then comes around a double-screen from both bigs and gets the ball at the top of the key. The bigs then come down and set another double-screen, this one also off-ball, freeing a player to receive a pass.
  Due to Josh Smith’s improved three-point shot, the stagger screen now gives the Rockets an added dimension when this tool is used in a half-court setting. Let’s take a look at some examples:
  
  As I mentioned before, the stagger set involves a double-screen along the sideline and another around the baseline. In these two examples, and in other recent sets, the Rockets have shifted the screens from the right side to the left side. This is because Josh Smith has been very efficient from the top and left-wing area.
  Now in both examples, the defense is so focused on denying Corey Brewer the ball, that they cheat off of Smith and leave him open along the wing. Brewer is very good around the basket, and often is able to finish past rim-protectors with his long arms – making him a very dangerous player coming off screens. Consequently, the defense will try to deny the pass to Brewer or double him if he receives it. If he’s denied, the player with the ball makes a cross-court pass to an open Smith for three. If Brewer receives it, he can either drive and score or kick it out to Smith for three. Either way, the Rockets end up with high-percentage scoring chances.
• The Rockets like using Josh Smith in small-ball opportunities with Harden, putting Smoove at the 5 position and surrounding he and Harden with three shooters. When running the pick and roll with in this line-up, the defenders are reluctant to come off the shooters – leaving two to fend for themselves against a combination of James Harden and Josh smith.
  In most situations, teams will hedge high and/or double off the screen, leaving Smith open to shoot. The Cavaliers deal with the same defense when running a LeBron/Love or Kyrie/Love pick and roll. For the Cavaliers, they have high volume shooter in Kevin Love ready to shoot and make threes at a high percentage. In this case for the Rockets, Smith isn’t a terrific three-point shooter, but if you put him in locations where he’s comfortable and confident then you can achieve similar results to the Cavaliers.
  Here’s an example where team’s double Harden off a Josh Smith screen. Harden passes it back to Smith who drills the three from the top of the key (an area where Smith shoots well from).
  

As we come down the home-stretch of the regular season, it will be interesting to see if Josh Smith’s three point success continues. If he can consistently score from certain areas of the floor, the Rockets’ coaching staff will find ways to maximize his abilities. Certainly a surprise at first, but something pleasant the Houston Rockets hope carries over into the postseason.

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