Ish Smith: Good stats, bad team player?

The perception that Ish Smith is a “good stats, bad team” player may be accurate, but it’s also irrelevant where the Detroit Pistons are concerned.

The Detroit Pistons signed Ish Smith on the opening night of free agency. The reaction was mixed. Some fans think it was a quality signing of a young and athletic player done on the cheap (3 years, $18 million — absolutely nothing in this market). Others think Smith is a lesser backup point guard and the team could have reached higher.

There is a perception that Smith — who spent 50 games putting up good numbers for last season’s historically bad Philadelphia 76ers — is nothing but a “good stats, bad team” player.

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Smith, who has bounced around nine teams in six pro seasons, spent the first part of last season with the New Orleans Pelicans and the rest with the 76ers. Both teams were bad, and Smith’s counting stats were good at both stops.

In 27 games (3 starts) for the Pelicans, the 6-foot, 175-pound guard boasted averages of 8.9 points, 5.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 22.9 minutes per game. When given the keys to the starting point guard spot in Philly, those numbers spiked to 14.7 points, 7.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 32.4 minutes per game (50 games/starts).

So, yes, Smith was a good stats, bad team player last season. But why is this a problem?

For starters, it’s not his fault that those teams were bad. Heck, the only reason the 76ers didn’t have the worst regular season record of all time was Smith and Smith alone.

Philly before Ish got there: 1*-30 (*won against the Lakers)
Philly with Ish: 9-42

This is a monumental accomplishment, considering the talent level on that team. I don’t care about how bad the Sixers were, he literally nonupled their win total.

Second, what does it say about Smith that the Pistons went out and signed him on the opening night of free agency? The front office, which is known to have one of the most comprehensive scouting departments in the NBA, headhunted him. They knew who they wanted, and went out and got their guy.

Smith is 28 years old, so he fits the age group of the core roster pieces. You could also argue it’s just about the age when players reach their apex, so the Pistons will have him for his prime years. Additionally, Smith has played alongside Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson in the past, and Stan Van Gundy coached him for a brief period in Orlando. SVG vouches for his character:

"I had coached Ish for a short time ... we knew what a high character guy we were getting" - SVG on Ish Smith
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) July 8, 2016

Finally, Smith may have been a good stats, bad team player last season, but I would contend that is exactly what the Pistons need him to be.

Detroit’s bench was the worst in the league last season, at least in terms of scoring. They scored a league-low 25.7 points per game and were prone to blowing leads the starters had built up. The bench was outscored by 7.1 points per game last season, finishing -613 on the plus/minus scale on the year. Imagine what can happen if that number gets closer to zero.

Smith is here to help the bench in that department. He may be undersized and an inefficient shooter, but he’s fast, will push the pace, and create for others without turning the ball over too much (his career 2.66 assist-to-turnover bests Jackson’s, for what it’s worth).

Next: Where do the Pistons stand in the East?

Ish Smith. Call him a good stats, bad team player all you like, but that’s what the Pistons need him to be for their bench. But the thing is, it won’t be for 32 minutes a night. It will be for 16-18. And you can bet the Pistons are excited to see what he can do with them.