Josh Smith

After nine mostly successful seasons in Atlanta, Smith struggled in his debut campaign with the Pistons. Detroit deployed Smith out of position, running him primarily at small forward while also giving him the green light to launch at will from downtown. The results were disastrous. Smith shot a career-low 42 percent from the floor. He only hit 26 percent of his three-point attempts while launching a career-high mark of 3.4 three-point attempts per game. His free-throw shooting was also problematic, as Smith shot 53 percent from the charity stripe while attempting 3.9 freebies per game. He once again had trouble protecting the ball (2.6 turnovers per game), which has been a problem area throughout his career. Despite all the bad, Smith was able to help fantasy teams in numerous categories. The 28-year-old averaged 16.4 points and 6.8 rebounds, and he remained a force on the defensive end of the court by racking up 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per night. There is hope Smith can bounce back from his inefficient ways this season. He'll be under the watchful eye of new Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy, who will surely cut down on Smith's three-point attempts, even if Smith is deployed at small forward again. Cutting down on his three-point attempts and long two-point attempts will do wonders for Smith's shooting percentage, and his always stellar counting stats on defensive will remain a fantasy boon in all formats.

Playing in a new city with new teammates may require an adjustment period for the veteran star forward, who had a rather disappointing 2012-13 season after arguably the best season of his entire career the previous year. Despite dropping in almost every category, Smith finished the year with averages of 17.5 points (47 percent from the field, 52 percent from the line), 8.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.8 blocks in 35 minutes per game. Now on the Pistons alongside a frontcourt of the stellar Greg Monroe and rising sophomore sensation Andre Drummond, Smith's usage rate may decrease further. With Brandon Jennings handling the ball at the point guard position, the Pistons may have a very fast-paced offense, which could benefit the athletic Smith. However, he will need to make his presence known at the defensive end, where he can be very effective without the ball. If Smith can remain healthy, he can still perform at an elite fantasy basketball level. However, he will need to slowly adjust to a different style and team.

In a season that started with Smith requesting a trade out of Atlanta, the forward posted career-best numbers, averaging 18.8 points and 9.6 rebounds in 66 games. He benefitted greatly from Al Horford’s injury, becoming the team’s primary frontcourt threat on offense while continuing to be disruptive on defense--recording high numbers of both blocks and steals. Smith has eased off the trade talk, perhaps because he’s entering the final year of his deal and can see free agency around the corner. If Smith continues to mature and delivers another boffo season, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent come next summer and will finally be in a position to play choose where he’ll play. Or maybe Smith is quiet these days because he’s giving new general manager Danny Ferry a chance before popping off. Ferry barely moved into his new offices before he traded Joe Johnson to New Jersey and Marvin Williams to Utah. Coach Larry Drew has been left with a guard-heavy team after the trades. Ferry envisions a bigger role for Smith, making use of his passing ability and having the ball move through him more. Smith has averaged 3.8 assists over the past three seasons, and any increased possessions could lead to even greater stat stuffing. It should be an interesting season for Smith in Atlanta, a franchise looking to shape its new core. Is Smith part of the next-generation of Hawks? Does he even want to be? It will all play itself out this season and Smith should be highly motivated for both personal and team reasons.

The Hawks freakishly talented forward put together another solid fantasy campaign in 2010-11, but he once again failed to take that next step to superstardom. In fact, Smith took a slight step back from his stellar 2009-10 campaign. While his scoring (16.6) and free-throw percentage (72.5) saw nice bumps, Smith became less efficient on offense as he fell back into the habit of taking too many three-pointers. He shot just 33.1 percent from downtown while taking two treys per game. His poor shot selection has been a longtime problem, and he was even booed by fans at home during the Hawks short-lived playoff run after hoisting numerous ill-advised heaves. Under first-year coach Larry Drew, Smith initiated the offense less, which resulted in his assists dropping from 4.2 to 3.3 per game. That didn’t help his turnover numbers though, as Smith still coughed up the ball 2.6 times per night. Luckily for Hawks fans and fantasy owners, Smith remains a defensive dynamo with averages of 1.3 steals and 1.6 blocks. Smith is one the most athletically talented players in the NBA and still young enough to one day put his entire repertoire together and have an absolute monster fantasy season.

Smith bounced back from a disappointing 2008-09 campaign last season, but once again failed to hit the marks that had him among the fantasy elite in years past. Smith blocked 2.1 shots per game last season – behind only Dwight Howard and Andrew Bogut on the leaderboard. That's a nice improvement from the disappointing 1.6 block average he posted in 2008-09, but a far cry from the nearly three swats per game he averaged in the two previous seasons. His 15.7 points-per-game were right in line with 2008-09 as well – a solid average, but well off the career high of 17.2 he posted in 2006-07. He did establish new career highs in assists (4.2 apg), steals (1.6 apg), and shooting from the field (50.5%), but his struggles at the free-throw line continued; he barely topped 60 percent from the line last season. That's better than his career-low of 58.8 percent in 2008-09, but Smith had been a consistent 70-percent free throw shooter earlier in his career, so the drop-off at the line continues to be a disappointment. Still, the core skills that make Smith so valuable – the shot-blocking and steals – haven't eroded. Draft for those numbers, and consider anything else you get from Smith a bonus.

Smith was a major disappointment last season, as he suffered a drop in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks from the previous year. Most concerning was the decline in blocks, as he went from averaging 2.8 over the previous two seasons down to 1.6 in 2008-09. While his shooting from the field improved last year (49.2%), his accuracy from the free-throw line fell off a cliff (58.8%). Even in a down year, Smith was productive, but it was a step in the wrong direction, especially for someone who is just 23 years old. Because of his age, there’s obviously reason for optimism regarding a bounce back, but with Jamal Crawford joining an Atlanta team already filled with scoring options, don’t expect Smith’s offensive production to jump all that much. Still, he’s one of the most athletic players in the NBA, and he might be the league’s very best dunker. While his shot remains a work in progress, there’s no reason to believe his shot blocking can’t return to previous levels, making him a nice buy-low option. No one in the league matches Smith’s steals/blocks potential, so there’s legitimate upside here. A lingering ankle sprain contributed to last season’s suppressed numbers.

Last season, Smith graduated from “guy you draft because he blocks a lot of shots” to “guy you draft because he’s just really good.” The next step might be fantasy superstardom. Smith is another example of the hyper-athletic combo forward trend in the NBA – he’s got the quickness and agility to play out on the wing but the strength, length and hops to defend bigger men in the paint. If he can continue to improve his jumper and ball handling he’ll become a near-impossible defensive assignment in addition to being one of the game’s top shot blockers. And there’s plenty of time for improvement – he’s just 22 years old. But there’s reason for concern. A restricted free agent after last season, Smith reportedly wanted out of Atlanta very badly. He eventually signed an offer sheet with the Grizzlies, which the Hawks quickly matched – so instead of getting out, he’s locked up for five years. It will be interesting to see whether or not his new $58 million contract is enough to soothe any hard feelings about his employer.

Off-the-charts athleticism and a remarkable nose for the ball have him rising with a bullet up the fantasy cheat sheets this season. Nearly three blocks per game? From a wing? That’s just crazy. And don’t write him off as a specialist – last season, he set new career bests in points, boards, assists and steals to go along with all those blocks (16.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.4 spg, 2.9 bpg). And, he’s just 21. Combine his youth with the expectation of better point guard play in Atlanta, and those numbers should improve into Shawn Marion territory before long. Don’t be scared off by the logjam of young, athletic wings in Atlanta; Smith and Joe Johnson are clearly several steps ahead of the rest and should be good for starter’s minutes no matter who else fills out the rotation.

When you look at the numbers Smith put up for the Hawks last year in March and April, you realize that the potential is there for a breakout season in 2007. After averaging a modest 8.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks before the All-Star break, Smith found his groove after the break and began to put up “Kirilenko” type numbers on a regular basis. He averaged 15 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.1 blocks a game after the break. In 11 games in April, he averaged 17.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.4 blocks. In fact, Smith at 6-9, finished fourth in the league in blocks per game average last year with 2.6. And while Smith didn’t make a three-point shot before the All-Star break, he made 34 after it (average of 1.1 a game). Smith is worth drafting early just for the blocks he gives you from the small forward position, but if he continues to score, dish and rebound, he will prove that he is one of the rising superstars in the NBA.

Smith came on in the second half of the season, starting the last 59 games and putting up strong numbers in points and rebounds. One overlooked aspect of his game is his shot blocking. As a small forward, Smith was No. 12 in the NBA in blocks per game with 1.95. If you need production in multiple categories, Smith is a great choice as he gives you points, rebounds and blocks while shooting a high percentage from the field.

Smith was a first-round pick right out of high school. As a result, he's a project for this season and likley won't get much playing time even on the wide-open Atlanta roster. He does have some serious ups, for what it's worth.

Smith is a top-notch athlete and has guard skills for his size. He has drawn comparisons to Darius Miles, with a much more reliable jumper. His range on his shot doesn't extend to the three point line, however, and his size is a big concern to most scouts. He could go as high as number six in the draft and as low as the late teens.