Pierre Haessig / Knuckleheads Podcast (DR)
By Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Sports journalist
A solid defender during his years with the Hawks, Josh Smith was however never rewarded for his slaughter in the field. This, unlike the four-time Defender of the Year Rudy Gobert, on whom he has a strong opinion.
Like other stars of his era, his name already practically no longer resonates in the microcosm NBA. And yet, Josh Smith was one of the toughest interiors in the league in the early 2010s. Capable of averaging more than 18 points per game, he also proved to be quite altruistic and inspired in attack. However, it is on the other side of the field that he has primarily built his reputation.
Josh Smith bluntly on the Rudy Gobert case
Despite his relative small size for a big man (2m06), Josh Smith could rely on his stocky physique to reign supreme in the racket. Particularly on defense, where he often exceeded 2 blocks per match, which earned him votes for Defender of the Year on six occasions. And yet, his track record in this area is quite meager, as he recently recalled in the Knuckleheads Podcast :
Josh Smith : I have only been included on an All-Defensive Team once. That year, I finished second in the Defender of the Year standings behind Dwight (Howard), and I was put on the 2nd All-Defensive Team. So, I didn’t really understand how it worked. I should have been included in the first one. The whole process is really complex and it undermines the credibility of these rewards.
14 years after what he quite legitimately considers a snub, J-Smoove still struggles to grasp all the nuances of voting regarding the NBA’s defensive awards. For example, he believes that Rudy Gobert did not deserve his fourth DPOY trophy:
Josh Smith : Without wanting to disrespect Rudy Gobert, he should not have been crowned this season.
I don’t care if he played less or whatever, but he finished the season with half of (Victor) Wembanyama’s blocks! Like, what are the criteria? Do we rely on individual or collective defense?
An opinion shared by other observers, which will nevertheless not have the consequence of removing this crowning record from Gobert. Smith hopes, however, that the criteria for the distinction will be clarified, or even simplified, in the years to come, and even goes so far as to propose his own:
Josh Smith : I think we should base it on one thing: if no one can score on a guy in isolation, it must be him, Defender of the Year. If he leads the league in opposing isolation percentage stats and no one scores on him, it doesn’t matter who it is, he should be seen as such.
Defense expert Josh Smith believes that Rudy Gobert should not have been named Defender of the Year for the fourth time. He can always console himself by telling himself that the prize risks landing very quickly in the hands of Victor Wembanyama.
