Zhaire Smith
By Jack Duffy
Zhaire Smith’s New Years resolution for 2019 is to get healthy and back into basketball shape, so he can help his team in their hopes of making a deep playoff run. Smith should not rush back to get onto the court, so he needs to make sure he gets his body in peak shape to sustain his health.
Unfortunately, 76ers rookie guard Smith has suffered the same fate of many past Sixers rookies and that is the injury plague. The athlete had surgery to repair a Jones Fracture in August that was due to sideline him until about December (need subscription to read link in tweet linked). That’s not the end of Smith’s misfortunes. In late September, Smith had an allergic reaction that caused him to lose 20 pounds when he had no weight to lose in the first place.
The 76ers could really use a player like Smith right now. With his ability to defend guards and multiple positions, he would get playing time immediately upon return. The Sixers have had their fair share of struggles, allowing guards to pour loads of points on them at will. Smith could be the guy off the bench to guard the opposing guards when Jimmy Butler (and Ben Simmons) is out.
Losing 20 pounds at the rate Smith did and recovering from foot surgery simultaneously is hard just by itself, not even counting the fact that he is a rookie trying to adapt to the NBA. This is not the typical route rookies make in the league and Zhaire Smith needs to continue to have the mental and physical strength to push through and recover as best as he can.
The Philadelphia 76ers would love to have their rookie on the court, but he needs to recover and get back into basketball shape in 2019.