Smith was a mistake, not bad luck: The result
If health was the reason why he struggled to find a role in the NBA then he would still have gotten another legit shot. Fultz was a prime example of this as injures derailed his time in Philly but he was still able to get another chance with the Magic. However, Smith didn’t and so it goes beyond just poor health.
As previously stated, Smith was a 6-foot-4 power forward in college at Texas Tech and outside of finishing in transition, he didn’t have that many great offensive skills that translated at the NBA level. Brown and the rest of the front office made a great miscalculation by swapping Bridges for Smith.
Bridges is now an above average starter for the Suns who are the second top team in the Western Conference. The career comparison between Smith and Bridges makes the trade look even worse in hindsight.
| Rk | Player | From | To | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | eFG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mikal Bridges | 2019 | 2021 | 213 | 146 | 29.7 | .488 | .368 | .597 | .576 | .826 | 3.8 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 9.9 |
| 2 | Zhaire Smith | 2019 | 2020 | 13 | 2 | 11.0 | .378 | .316 | .423 | .444 | .667 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 3.7 |
Provided by Stathead.com: View Stathead Tool Used
Generated 4/22/2021.
On top of that, Bridges is averaging 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, while converting 41.5 percent of his 3-pointers this season. He’s more than just an elite 3-and-D player as he’s adding to offensive skills such as slashing and moving without the ball.
Imagine how much stronger the 76ers rotation would be if Bridges was in it. Having him on the roster would make a legit argument that Philly could be the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference.
Bridges is a starter in the NBA right now and Smith isn’t on an NBA or G-League roster this season. It wasn’t just health that hurt Smith, but his lack of size for his skill set and his inability to develop perimeter skills at an NBA level. The Philadelphia 76ers a pretty good track record in recent history overall but they definitely made a mistake by trading Bridges for Smith.