Ish Smith has transformed the Philadelphia 76ers offense. He may be a decent option at the point guard spot until someone better comes around.
The Philadelphia 76ers have been saved by Ish Smith twice now, as they were transformed from being a truly awful bottom-feeder team in the NBA to being a just really bad bottom-feeder team in the NBA in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 season. The Sixers acquired him partway through the year in each of these years, and his addition has been positive each time.
Still, there are murmurs of him not being re-signed by the team this year. Still, people want him gone. Despite his nothing but positive contributions to this team that hasn’t seen much positive on the floor over the past few years, it seems like there must be better options out there.
Smith, who was signed to an NBA team in September of 2015, is currently making the minimum salary, and is a free agent this offseason. After his skills were put on display for the New Orleans Pelicans and the Sixers in their times of need throughout this season, he may have teams calling his name, or he may find himself struggling to find a home yet again.
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Ish may not be considered a “seasoned” veteran since he only carries six years of NBA experience with him, but he has been forced to mature, adapting quickly and often throughout his 6 years so far, playing for nine different teams in the NBA.
Last offseason, the Sixers were in the same exact situation that they are now. The Sixers were debating Ish because he was likely to demand more money if they wanted him back on the team. Despite the fact that he was clearly good for the team, the Sixers opted to choose other guards, and ended up regretting the decision later in the season when none of those guards ended up being nearly as good as Ish.
Ish being traded for in December was said to be a move orchestrated by Jerry Colangelo, especially since two second-round draft picks were sent to the Pelicans in return for him. Those draft picks were assets that Sam Hinkie coveted and surely wanted to keep around. With Jerry’s son Bryan now in the position that Sam held, does that change anything with the approach to Ish? Maybe, or maybe not. It will all depend on whether or not Bryan runs the team with the same ideas as his father, or if he will take his own approach.
I think we’re bound to see the Sixers at least give Ish more of a chance than they did last offseason. Last year, the Sixers hardly even gave a look at Ish, and right away decided it was best if he explored options with other teams. He was forced to hustle for a spot on a different team during training camps and preseasons, and ended up signing a contract with the Pels.
This year, I think they’ll give him more thought, especially after he proved them wrong. Here’s why they should seriously consider re-signing him to the team.
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