Former Detroit Pistons guard Ish Smith signed with the Washington Wizards in the offseason. Battered by guard injuries, the Wizards have needed Smith.
The Detroit Pistons were the 10th team that NBA journeyman Ish Smith played for. Detroit also represents his longest-tenured team at three seasons.
Smith played a valuable role with the team as he was a reliable backup point guard who started nearly half of his games during his first two seasons with the team, not out of choice, but more so out of necessity with Reggie Jackson being injured.
In his time with the Pistons, Smith shot 45.3% from the field, including a career-high 48.6% in 2017-18. He averaged 9.8 points and 4.5 assists per game on an average of 24 minutes per contest. He wasn’t anything exceptional, although maybe exceptional in terms of a guard coming off the bench.
The year prior to joining the Pistons, Smith started 53 of 77 games between the New Orleans Pelicans and Philadelphia 76ers. He played 29.1 minutes per game scoring 12.6 points per game and contributing 6.5 assists per game. He then signed his three-year deal with Detroit and was a very solid role player and has remained a Pistons fan favorite.
With the signing of Derrick Rose during the offseason, Smith was sort of the odd man out as far as Detroit’s own free agents go. He signed a comfortable two-year, $12 million deal with the Washington Wizards, a team that could use the guard help, alongside Isaiah Thomas, given John Wall‘s current injury status.
Through 28 appearances this season, Smith has 10 starts and plays 25.5 minutes per game. He’s currently scoring 9.6 points per game on 45.5% from the field. He’s holding a career-high in 3-point percentage at 37.7% on a clip of 2.5 attempts per game, also a career-high.
Most recently, as in Dec. 20 recent, Smith went 9-for-9 from the field, including 4-of-4 from long range, scoring 26 points in an effort that almost helped the Wizards topple the Toronto Raptors. In the following game, in a cruel form of irony, Smith went 0-for-7 from the field in a losing effort against his former team, the 76ers on Dec. 21.
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With Wall likely being out for the entirety of the 2019-20 season with his Achilles injury, Smith will have multiple chances to make the most out of his playing time. Washington doesn’t necessarily have their eyes set on the playoffs, losing seven of their last eight games, with the sole win being against the Pistons.
However, with a young core of Bradley Beal, Thomas Bryant, and Rui Hachimura, Smith is a veteran on a team that could be a contender in the East when healthy.
Smith contributed a lot to the Pistons team when he was a part of the team. He wasn’t expected to drop 20 or even 15 points per game, but he was a valued playmaker off the bench and, as long as he’s willing to remain in the league, he’ll always have a roster spot.
It was Smith’s time to leave Detroit, but for myself, and others, it’s enjoyable to see him contribute on another team the same way he did with the Pistons.
Smith and the Wizards visit the Pistons on Thursday night, the last game at Little Caesars Arena before Detroit embarks on a six-game road trip including five against the Western Conference.