Atlanta Hawks: Is Josh Smith an All-Star?
Hawks forward Josh Smith has never been named to an NBA All-Star team despite impressive career numbers. CURTIS COMPTON/ccompton@ajc.com
Vivlamore reporting.
Is Josh Smith an All-Star?
Despite all-around career statistics few in NBA history have reached, the Hawks forward has never been chosen for the All-Star Game. He has not been voted in by fans, selected by coaches nor named a replacement by the league.
Through his eight-plus year career, Smith is on the verge of becoming just the 24th player in NBA history to reach the milestones of 10,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 2,000 assists and 1,000 blocks. The 23 players who reached those marks, including nine Hall of Famers, combined to appear in 184 All-Star Games. Only one, Mychal Thompson, never made an all-star appearance.
In Smith’s 624 career games, he has averaged 15.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.3 steals. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is the only player in league history with career averages over 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steals.
Steve Smith, the former Hawks player and broadcaster and current analyst for NBA TV, said Smith being left off the All-Star team is a “travesty.”
In a series of interviews with NBA executives, coaches, players, analysts and support personnel, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution examined the question of why Smith has never represented the Eastern Conference in the midseason exhibition featuring basketball’s top players. The inquiry revealed a number of possible reasons - some of Smith’s own doing, some out if his control.
Smith doesn’t figure to be voted in by the fans as a starter. He is competing at forward with the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Chris Bosh and now Carmelo Anthony – all high-profile, high-scoring fan favorites. James has been a starter for all eight games that Smith has been in the league taking away one spot. He and Garnett were the starting forwards for three straight years (2008-10). With the Knicks adding Amar’e Stoudemire and Anthony from the Western Conference, starters with James the past two years, the competition for votes is tougher than ever for a player who has never selected.
In the first balloting results released by the league, Smith is eighth among front-court players with 69,344 votes. He trails the leader James by 572,000 votes and is just ahead of the Sixers’ Andrew Bynum, who hasn’t played a game this season.
Coaches, who name the All-Star reserves, have ignored Smith. One reason could be the early-career reputation that Smith developed especially playing under then-Hawks coach Mike Woodson. While other players had run-ins with Woodson, several of Smith’s were highly-publicized.
Coaches may also be influenced by some of Smith’s on-court reaction to officiating. Smith’s scowl and sometimes overt actions certainly look bad. Many of the head men from the early part of Smith’s career are still in the league with the same or different teams in NBA’s often-limited coaching carousel.
“He has the ability,” said Heat coach Eric Spoelstra, who noted he was unaware Smith has never been an All-Star. “He has the production. He’s been successful enough to have been an All-Star at some point.”
The league had two prime opportunities to name Smith a replacement and passed. David Lee was named in 2010 and Rajon Rondo was named in 2012. Lee, a forward, was named to replace guard Allen Iverson. Last season is the most troubling for the Hawks and Smith’s camp. When the Hawks’ lone representative Joe Johnson pulled out of the game with left knee tendonitis, the Commissioner David Stern opted for Rondo, a guard, instead of another Atlanta player.
Johnson’s career in Atlanta also hurt Smith. The guard made six straight All-Star games as a Hawk. When center Al Horford was named to the team in 2010 and 2011, before missing the game with an injury last season, the Hawks were unlikely to have three representatives.
“In the past year’s I’ve put up All-Star quality numbers,” Smith said. “I always seem to fall short. I think it impacts the people around me more so than me like my parents, my family, my friends. They feel like I’m deserving of that opportunity at least once or twice in my career. They see the things that people normally don’t see. They see the offseason workouts. All the energy I put into that in order to be a better person, be a better player. They see all the ups and downs of the season. They experience all that. They understand. They see me and they see all the struggles. They want it more. I definitely want it. I definitely want it, don’t get me wrong. I want to do it for them.”
The Hawks style of play in recent years was suggested as something that works against Smith. The offense was looked at as a half-court system that promotes isolation plays, mostly running through Johnson. With the trade of Johnson, the Hawks are emphasizing an up-tempo style.
While the Hawks have made the playoffs the past five seasons, their failure to get past the second round could also have affected Smith’s selection. National attention comes with deep postseason runs.
While Smith puts up impressive numbers in several statistical categories, not everything the forward does appears in a boxscore. Smith can guard several positions and he influences many opposing shots as a help defender.
Over the course of this career, Smith’s numbers tend to get better as the season progresses. Each year, from November to April, Smith’s monthly-averages in points and rebounds per game get better with just a few exceptions. All-Star voting and selections occur in the first three months of the season.
One statistic that works against Smith is his shooting percentage. For a player who excels around the rim, Smith’s jump shooting adversely affects his numbers. He has shot over 50 percent from the field only once in his career (2009-10). An ill-timed jump shot can be accentuated by the ensuing groans from fans after a miss. For his career, Smith is shooting 28.3 percent (221 of 782) from 3-point range.
Smith, who jumped directly from high school to the NBA, has been a regular starter throughout his career. It has taken time for the 26-year old to mature into the player he is today from a basketball sense. A case can be made that only Smith’s statistics the past two seasons are All-Star quality.
“I always say you have to do it twice,” TNT analyst Kenny Smith said. “I say 8 out of 10 guys have to do it twice. He’s in that 8 out of 10. Having one great year followed by another great first half of a year. I think that he’s done that this year so he’ll be on.”
The starters for this season’s All-Star game, to be played Feb. 17 in Houston, will be announced Jan. 17. The naming of the reserves by coaches will follow in several weeks.
For Smith, the wait continues.
- Chris Vivlamore
LATEST NEWS
* Hawks have lost two of past three
* Williams ready for return to Philadelphia
* Morrow out, Stevenson questionable vs. Wizards
* A look at the Hawks at the season’s quarter mark
* Hawks look to put worst loss behind them
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @AJCHAWKS
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
167 comments Add your comment
doc
December 25th, 2012
6:11 pm
najeh, if you were saying conley us a good comparison because of his salary though i think conley has the edge experience wise after looking one could say lin is clearly superior based in stats i just pulled up for conley:
http://www.nba-scores.com/players/mike-conley.html
conley isnt in same league inferior in every category except steals which conley may lead the league.
maybe you need to change upur perspective on lin or understand better your bias against him.
Please Answer This
December 25th, 2012
6:12 pm
You’re calling me an Idiot and yet you’re obviously incapable of answering the question that I asked ?
Yet you drivel on about some new laptop computer?
Answer the damn question!
Bernie Matt
December 25th, 2012
6:15 pm
@ please answer – see I knew you were stupid, you came back to waste your time even more.
Please Answer This
December 25th, 2012
6:17 pm
Bernie Matt,
You’re embarrassing yourself.
Bernie Matt
December 25th, 2012
6:24 pm
@ please – you’re the one who came here wondering why the rest of us cared so much. Yet here your are. I think the readers would say that you’re embarrassing yourself.
doc
December 25th, 2012
6:47 pm
majeh not really sure about thise stats but these still show you can throw a blanket over the two. yeas conley better but not that superior a lin is 12/6 and conley 14/6. lin is younger in experience and a better scorer than conley. also lin saved the knicks last year and without him they dont get in playoffs maybe though he wasnt there at the end. so he can score, dish and win. he also is very close to conley in bith stats and salary. so what is your prob bro.
i feel a per coming. heh heh
SteveW
December 25th, 2012
7:14 pm
Josh is 27, not 26
vava74
December 25th, 2012
7:18 pm
Excellent posts Najeh… Blunt and on target.
keith
December 25th, 2012
7:37 pm
Bernie Matt…….”just say no!!!!!!!!!!!”
If for some strange reason Josh Smith makes the all-star team, quite frankly, he does not deserve it…..
keith
December 25th, 2012
7:41 pm
Metta World War Vs. Knicks= Grown man Basketball
If All-Scrub Josh Smith and Al Horford played collectively with half the passion I saw today from Metta, Kobe, Pau, Tyson Chandler, on and on… Hawks would be undefeated right now!!!
doc
December 25th, 2012
7:51 pm
najeh
http://www.nba-scores.com/players/mike-conley.html
sorry a few distractions this time if year
Rod from College Park
December 25th, 2012
7:53 pm
“I remember most of these same clowns saying Joe was more important to this franchise than Josh, some even said Marvin was more valuable to the hawks, now look at Joe’s current team. Marvin can hardly stay on the court, he’s so bad in Utah.”
I remember those clowns as well. Do I need to name names?
Rev in Tampa
December 25th, 2012
7:57 pm
LeQueen’s streak of 254 minutes without committing a foul ended tonight. Stern will be having a discipinary meeting with the officiating crew of the Heat/Thunder game to fire them.
Rev in Tampa
December 25th, 2012
8:01 pm
I am 0 for 2 today. I wanted the Nets to beat the Celtics because I despise all things Boston. I wanted the Knicks to embarass the Lakers to further humilate Dwight on national TV. I am pulling for the Thunder to bring the Hawks a half-game closer to the Southeastern Division lead. I don’t care about the last two games.
drmaryb.(""_*).
December 25th, 2012
8:05 pm
I Got $5 On It!
I’m putting my money on Bernie Matt and, his new lap top. Child Please!
Rev in Tampa
December 25th, 2012
8:06 pm
Dr Mary,
Many Blessings!
Nate ArchiBALL
December 25th, 2012
8:11 pm
R f CP — Name names. I would to see if they respond……
drmaryb.(""_*).
December 25th, 2012
8:15 pm
Rev in Tampa!
Ha Ha! My friend … Many Blessings to you and your family too.
Merry X-mas to all my wonderful, itelligent, bright, passionate cohorts on the Super Hawks Blog today!
BEAT the HEAT!
Let’s Go OKC!
drmaryb.(""_*).
December 25th, 2012
8:16 pm
All Star!
JOSH IS MY PERSONAL ALL STAR!!!!! The NBA can kick rocks … And, eat snot. [lol]
SteveW
December 25th, 2012
8:18 pm
One year they put KG ahead of Josh for old times sake.
Last year Hibbert got in because the Pacers had a good record and they needed somebody from their team. Iggy and Deng were playing great, but still marginal All Stars at best.
And Josh was snubbed on that Rondo selection. No doubt about it. JJ was a G as was Rondo? All I could figure.
drmaryb.(""_*).
December 25th, 2012
8:27 pm
* intelligent
Nate ArchiBALL
December 25th, 2012
8:34 pm
Rondo was suspended for the following incident right before the All-Star game. Rondo was then named to the 2011-12 All-Star team as an injury replacement by David Stern……
Feb 20th 2012 – “Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo was ejected from a Sunday night game against the Pistons in Detroit for throwing the basketball at referee Sean Wright after he did not receive a foul call on a drive to the basket. The ejection — prompted by two back-to-back technical fouls — came in the third quarter of a 96-81 loss to the Pistons.
The NBA announced on Monday that Rondo would be suspended for two games without pay for “throwing a ball at an official and striking him in the chest.”
Rondo will serve his suspension during road games against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday and Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. He will be available again after the All-Star break, during a Feb. 28 game against the Cavaliers in Cleveland.”
And Josh is suppose to be a bad guy because he argues with refs……Most refs when they’ve heard enough will drop a tech on you
Check out the lead leaders in techs
http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/player/_/stat/fouls/sort/technicalFouls
Josh in a tie for 19th place.
keith
December 25th, 2012
8:40 pm
I hope our Hawks were watching Knicks v. Lakers and OKC v. Heat…..Championship intensity “all day long”!!!!! Grown Man Basketball being played to the highest. All-star Al Horford will benefit if he gets a little “Metta World War” in him and stop playing “SOFT” Al ball!!! GO HAWKS!!!
Merry Christmas Al and the Atlanta Hawks Org…..
Sameba
December 25th, 2012
8:53 pm
Terrible referees at OKC vs Heat. No call at the end of the game when Durant dunked (Chalmers clearly hit KD’s hand) and especially when Westbrook attempted 3-pointer and was clearly fouled. Thus not only our Hawks suffer from referees in NBA…
High-sider
December 25th, 2012
9:03 pm
Heat silences Thunder, 103 – 97.
The Heat and Thunder shot 19-of-19 and 32-of-38 from the FT line, respectively; (the) Heat defeated (the) Thunder by six (points). Was that (variance in free throws made between the two teams) the difference in the outcome (game)?
http://www.nba.com/games/20121225/OKCMIA/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nbahpgt0021200407
Please Answer This
December 25th, 2012
9:19 pm
At this point, I’m assuming that the consensus here is that there is no logical explanation for this blogs fixation on which players are selected to participate in an exhibition game?
But that you still are anyway.
With your obvious reason being….
Well, just because we are.
High-sider
December 25th, 2012
9:22 pm
@Rev in Tampa
————————————————-
Rev in Tampa
December 25th, 2012
8:01 pm
I am 0 for 2 today. I wanted the Nets to beat the Celtics because I despise all things Boston. I wanted the Knicks to embarass the Lakers to further humilate Dwight on national TV. I am pulling for the Thunder to bring the Hawks a half-game closer to the Southeastern Division lead. I don’t care about the last two games.
————————————————-
Make that 0 for 3 today (or tonight).
Bernie Matt
December 25th, 2012
9:30 pm
@ Keith- You can always tell who really knows the NBA game and who is just a punk trying to be hard talking about “grown man ball”. Metta can play like that cause that’s his role. The Lakers don’t count on him to have the ball in his hands at the end of games. They don’t even rely on him to be on the floor at the end, you won’t ever see Pau or Dwight or Kobe playing with that enforcer mentality, but you want Josh and Al, guys who we depend on to be on the floor at the end to play like Metta.
Punk , it’s obvious you don’t know the NBA game, tryin to live out your fantasies, talking about grown man ball. Metta’s role on that team would be comparable to Ivan on the hawks team, so if you had any clue you would have kept that stupid post, because Ivan does infact play that way. DUMMY!
High-sider
December 25th, 2012
9:35 pm
Rockets (team is) blowin’ the britches off the Bulls in Chicago. What a homecoming for (Omer) Asik!
Bernie Matt
December 25th, 2012
9:42 pm
@ keith – if the knicks wanted Melo to be out there tryin to push people around and pick up cheap fouls, why do you think they still have Kurt Thomas playing. DUMMY!
High-sider
December 25th, 2012
10:02 pm
For the record, I realize that there is more than one way to calculate “per-minute(s)” stats. For example, you can calculate “points per minute” (pt(s)/min(s)) as follows:
1. total points [scored] divided by total minutes [played] (total points / total minutes)
or
2. (average) points [scored] per game divided by (average) minutes [played] per game ((points/game) / (minutes/game))
I just had to “put that out there.”
Talkin’ about an ANAL-MINDED MORON (BLOGGER); I guess that’s me. (LOL)
Oh yeah, I got respect for you, too, vava74.
Buddy Grizzard
December 25th, 2012
10:15 pm
Vava ftpb: Can’t argue with you.
Nate ArchiBALL
December 25th, 2012
10:31 pm
Bulls are on a roll. Back to back L’s – The Hawks by 17 points and the Rockets by 23 points.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 25th, 2012
10:32 pm
“maybe you need to change upur perspective on lin or understand better your bias against him.”
Saying that a guy needs more than a half a season’s worth of starts to determine that he is worth his contract means I have a “bias” against him?
Buddy Grizzard
December 25th, 2012
10:38 pm
“there might be 50 better offers in the league for a player like Derrick whose potential is significant”
Don’t forget the Hawks have picks. We have an extra first rounder this year if Houston stays in playoff position, which they look like they will.
Buddy Grizzard
December 25th, 2012
10:59 pm
Hawks have talent to win a chip per Josh:
http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-am-dont-overlook-the-atlanta-hawks/
doc
December 25th, 2012
11:16 pm
yeah, jeremy lin sucks
nash numbers tonight
Roger
December 25th, 2012
11:16 pm
Enter your comments here
Roger
December 25th, 2012
11:21 pm
Josh is the best front runner in the nba. Whenever things go bad he starts pouting walking up and down the floor. He cannot dribble or shoot! If he couldn’t jump he would not be in the nba! All star are you kidding me?
High-sider
December 25th, 2012
11:22 pm
Jamal Crawford with that behind-the-back, shake-and-back…wow!!!!!
doc
December 25th, 2012
11:23 pm
again najeh the guy says he has been terrible all the while putting u close to the nimbers of the giy you asked to compare him too
cant wait until he gets more “unterrible”, gets in synch with his running mate and offense of which he has been a part of for less than thirty games then see what you think of him. usually you are pretty measured and pragmatic. this one something is getting in the way. kind of surprises me. new team, comeback from surgery, new flashy teammate as the season starts without preseason then head coach out for half the season to spend appropriate time with family as his daughter dies then all the emotion in coming back? they have been thru the grinder and the better they get the better our chances for a draft pick. cudos to all of them.
High-sider
December 26th, 2012
12:54 am
He’s (Jamal Crawford) an incredible bad shot-maker.” – Jeff Van Gundy, ESPN NBA Analyst
“I was really surprised that (the) Atlanta (Hawks) didn’t re-sign him (Jamal Crawford).” – Jeff Van Gundy, ESPN NBA Analyst
vava74
December 26th, 2012
3:34 am
High-sider,
The fool on the Clippers bench who failed to do anything against our zone D is Vinny.
They are indeed winning, but they are probably doing it on sheer talent, not coaching from the bench.
Crawford is indeed playing out of his mind THIS year, clearly his best season ever.
Off-season training and Chris Paul / Bledsoe can do that to you (Paul because he improves everyone playing along side him and Bledsoe because he is good enough for Vinny not to play Jamal at the PG slot).
But they guy who would like to have from the Clips bench is Barnes, who is playing at a very high level. Should be our starting SF… :-S
vava74
December 26th, 2012
3:39 am
High-sider,
van Gundy’s commentary is absurd.
Jamal was looking for a 10 million deal and we didn’t have the cap space to re-sign him, much less at the price level that he wanted to re-sign.
My gripe was never about Jamal: I always said that if I were the HC I would like to have him since I knew how to use him, but how LD used him.
Jamal CAN’T play PG and LD could not resit playing him there, the same way that he tends to play Lou at PG with mixed results, at best, since he does have a bit more PG skills.
Smokey
December 26th, 2012
4:41 am
on point as usual vava74
LouWill83
December 26th, 2012
7:44 am
Josh Smith will get an All Star selection this year no question. Isn’t he any more valuable to his team than Luol Deng was to the Bulls last year?
As a 3rd seed in the east I think it’s only fair our top player who impacts the game so much on both ends of the floor gets the nod!!
As far to what it does to Hawks Fans, I think we can all agree that maybe it would be the tipping point for Josh if he gets selected that he is now regarded as an “All Star”. For me I always feel he is playing with the thought that he is underrated and doesn’t get the credit he deserves and that in turn sometimes pushes him to force his game, argue with refs (Thinking he isnt getting the calls).. Heck im sure the refs would start blowing those whistles a lot more in his favor.
& Come to Think of it Josh is made for the all star game, I mean highlight wise who wouldnt want to see that vicious left handed alley oop slam. I mean im sure he s a lot more entertaining to watch then Hibbert or Deng, Come on now
GO HAWKS!!!
Mike is Back
December 26th, 2012
8:14 am
CV, With the current talent level of current and upcoming All Stars…HE HAS TO BE…qualified on that level too. Some of the Big Name All Stars in the EC of late…have aged and are well past their prime…so I would say…YES Josh is an All Star.
However, in order for Josh to be considered amongst the ELITE in the game…he has to polish up his act…AND become a FULL TIME PROFESSIONAL…whenever he steps on the court.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please Answer This
December 26th, 2012
8:32 am
Finally someone weighs in with an explanation! Thanks you LW83.
That being, that it may cause Josh to play more within himself and stop forcing things (jumpers?). And might possibly cause the refs to give him more calls?
While the latter (getting calls) is generally considered to be true, at least with some selected players, are there any reference points that you can think of that would suggest that players’ generally play smarter and stop forcing things “in order to gain respect” after being selected for the exhibition game?
If there is any truth to this, it would actually affect the Hawks basketball team and season. Which would obviously affect people who support Hawks basketball.
Rev in Tampa
December 26th, 2012
8:39 am
if the hawks remain the solid 3rd seed in the east and are nipping at the heat’s heels at the all-star break, then the hawks MUST have a representative. I am certain that josh would get the nod over al. Anyone in a position to make the decision on who gets an invite to the all-star would surely know that the hawks are only going as far as josh takes them. Even much of al’s success can easily be attributed to how’s facilitation
Rev in Tampa
December 26th, 2012
8:50 am
How’s = josh’s. Stupid android auto spell check.