Five goals for Ish Smith in the 2017-18 season

2. Get to the line

It may come as a surprise, but Ish Smith only averaged 1.3 free throw attempts per game last season. That’s far too low for a point guard of his nature.

Smith has the ability to blow by defenders and finish at the rim. It’s not a matter of getting to the cup. He makes that look easy. It’s a matter of drawing fouls once he gets there.

This issue with Smith isn’t really an issue. Rather, it’s an aspect of his game that could use a tweak. Distributing the basketball is paramount for a successful point guard. Ish has been superb when it comes to supplying his teammates with clean looks at the basket.

But there are times when he can be too generous. Instead of absorbing the contact after leaving his feet, he’ll decide to kick it out to a spot shooter. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. The drive and kick is one of more useful plays in basketball.

However, a layup (even contested) is a higher percentage shot when compared to a 15-footer. Smith has shot 71 percent from the free throw line in his career. That’s not elite. But it’s enough to suggest that Ish (and the Pistons) would be better off if he took more field goals in the paint.