Josh Smith wants out of Hawks — and it’s hard to blame him
Josh Smith's 30 points led a recent upset of Oklahoma City, and he has been the Hawks' best player this season. (AP photo)
By the end of last season, the criticism had started to become too much for Josh Smith.
When something went wrong, he got blamed. When the Hawks lost, he got blamed. Certainly, any time he did something silly and made one of those pouty, lower-lip-touches-the-tip-of-the-nose boo-boo faces, the city’s basketball fans held their nose in disgust and screamed, “Feh!”
At some point, it all figured to be too much for the hometown kid – and now it is.
Smith wants out of the Hawks. Out of Atlanta. I don’t blame him. I wrote a column following last season’s playoff exit that it might be best if the two parties went in opposite directions, and that was meant less as criticism of Smith than it was a read of the unhealthy situation. It was clear how he and those in his camp felt about the situation.
Our Michael Cunningham reports that, while external criticism of Smith has significantly diminished this season, the forward wants a fresh start with a new team, and he has let the Hawks know of his desire to be dealt before the NBA’s March 15 trade deadline.
The irony here is that Smith has had the best season of his career. He has averaged 17 points, almost 10 rebounds, 3.5 assists and two blocks. When center Al Horford went down early this season, Smith stepped up and took on a bigger role. When guard Joe Johnson went down, Smith went on to carry this team.
Is Smith great every night? No. But what we’ve witnessed this season is a smarter, far more mature and polished player than at any time in his eight-year career. When training camp opened following the league’s lockout, Smith showed up 25 pounds lighter, wearing a smile and having a seemingly new perspective on things.
He denied that criticism ever prompted him to ask for a trade in the offseason, but cracked that at times he was tempted to “get lost. Punch the GPS a few times.”
“I’ve been here a long time,” Smith continued. “I’ve never lashed out at the organization. All I ask for sometimes is, when I raise my hand, maybe somebody can help me up, so I’m not always the person who’s trying to [defend me from criticism]. It would be nice if somebody else said, ‘This guy’s a pretty good player.’”
He certainly has shown that this season. Now he wants out. Figures.
How does this look if you’re the Hawks?
The kid from College Park doesn’t want to play for the hometown team. Dwight Howard, an Atlanta native, doesn’t want to play here, either.
It’s one thing when hockey players from Russia (Ilya Kovalchuk) and Slovakia (Marian Hossa) want out. But two guys who grew up playing pickup games on the city’s black tops?
Neither Smith nor Howard have a problem with Atlanta itself. It’s more about perceptions of the franchise and the ownership. As players move on in their career, winning titles becomes more important. Smith wants to play for a franchise more committed to winning a championship — or at least one that leaves the impression it knows what it takes to get there.
The Hawks have been an undersized team with Horford as their center, but their inability to make significant roster fixes can be traced directly to ownership’s decision to give Johnson a $123.7 million contract.
Smith has been the Hawks’ best player this season. He got jobbed in All-Star game selection twice — first when Eastern Conference coaches picked reserves, then when commissioner David Stern inexplicably chose the suspended Rajon Rondo over Smith to replace the injured Johnson. Smith apparently holds the Hawks at least partially responsible, believing the organization didn’t do enough to promote his candidacy.
My guess is that perceptions of the younger, immature, underachieving Smith still linger with some and had more to do with his exclusion. But Smith has been a treasure to watch for most of this season. Now he wants out. It was easy to see coming.
By Jeff Schultz
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185 comments Add your comment
kevkat
March 8th, 2012
6:12 pm
2012, the end of the world, josh wants out..it’s all falling into place
Nick
March 8th, 2012
6:13 pm
Don’t believe I recall seeing anyone blame him, people were saying he shouldn’t take long range jumpers, but its Joe “I’m taking all this teams money and not doing anything for it” Johnson that I blame.
ATLiens Don’t Want to Be Hawks « coming up small
March 8th, 2012
6:13 pm
[...] Writes Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports columnist Jeff Schultz: “Neither Smith nor Howard have a problem with Atlanta itself. It’s more about perceptions of the franchise and the ownership. As players move on in their career, winning titles becomes more important. Smith wants to play for a franchise more committed to winning a championship — or at least one that leaves the impression it knows what it takes to get there.” [...]
Nick
March 8th, 2012
6:17 pm
Course who cares, if you waste a dime on the Hawks you are stupid. This team hasn’t shown me they want my money since Nique retired. And they sucked back then.
Trojan
March 8th, 2012
6:17 pm
Wow, what a mess. Perhaps we should hold onto Josh, and trade everybody else, especially the ASG.
bulldogbubba
March 8th, 2012
6:19 pm
Any body seen Clusters? Being an overpaid athlete has to be hard on that person. I admit I have no clue as to what they go through but if you sell yourself at a job interview and you don’t fulfill what you tsay you can do people are not gonna be happy and management tends to cut you loose eventually. Now if you loose the ball in the lights and the team puts up little victory flags you are playing on a different team.
Paddy
March 8th, 2012
6:20 pm
some sense……..get him out of town and start over, you say. You want the ASG to start over with this team? Is not once enough for you? It is for me!
Chuckman
March 8th, 2012
6:21 pm
Jeff,
Is there anyway the Hawks can amnesty Joe Johnson and free up our roster options with the extra cap space? Why won’t mgt do this? Obvious improvement and flexibility.
Dean
March 8th, 2012
6:22 pm
It’s such a shame the shape of basketball in this state. With all the high school talent, large, affluent African American base, and entertainment icons. This franchise could be something special. As it is, it’s just boring. I don’t blame Smith but I’ll sure hate to see him go.
Sfrantom
March 8th, 2012
6:25 pm
Jeff, Do you think Josh would change his tune if ATL made a trade to make the team better? I think if ATL could trade JJ and Marvin for a big man he would stay and be happy. I don’t think anyone on this team likes playing with Marvin.
TexExInGA
March 8th, 2012
6:25 pm
The leadership painted itself into a corner in slow motion with the JJ contract while we all watched. They paid him because it was the least risky thing to do. They were not diligent, savvy, or bold enough to find another way to make the team better. And maybe they were too stubborn to admit Belkin was right.
Players have lost patience — no blaming J-Smoove, he has worked hard to get better the last couple years and no one has noticed. I would be upset too.
Fans have lost patience. There’s plenty of blame to spread around and there was some bad luck — in the draft, injuries, the aborted sale, etc.
I don’t have any ill will toward anyone involved, including the ownership, but I think it all needs to be blown up — lose JJ, sell the team, see what’s left and go from there. Wake me up in a couple years… hopefully the Hawks will stay in Atlanta and it won’t take as long as it did last time to get back to respectability.
JSS
March 8th, 2012
6:26 pm
Nick
March 8th, 2012
6:13 pm
“Don’t believe I recall seeing anyone blame him”
Oh Phil!!!
Matt the Brave
March 8th, 2012
6:35 pm
Is it just me, or is this team really close to the drain now? I mean, we’ve been circling for some time, but it really seems that if our best player currently on the team (no affront to Horford, but he’s hurt) want out, it’s a pretty bad sign. I think we’d all better get ready for another 13 win season here soon.
Michael
March 8th, 2012
6:35 pm
Investors? Are you kidding? Who in their right mind would want to throw their money in and join themselves with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb running the show now? There is no way anything gets better until those idiots sell and get out completely. But that’s not going to happen until they have run this franchise into the ground too.
Trojan
March 8th, 2012
6:37 pm
Dwight Howard is sounding more like a head case everytime he speaks now. He will be as popular as Kang James when he took his talentz to South Beach.
Dwight said today that he wanted to go somewhere where he could be the one to take the last shot.
He is already there and he had accomplished nothing so far.
Trojan
March 8th, 2012
6:39 pm
Who had confidence in any aspect of Hawks management? No one. Not a single person believes in the handling of the Hawks.
GA FAN
March 8th, 2012
6:46 pm
For some reason the song “Georgia” comes to mind. At least we can still support the college, high school and little league teams. Jason Heyward was the escape for the Braves. Roddy White the escape for the Falcons and Josh Smith for the Hawks. WoW!!!!!!! Falcons paid a rookie qb
$65 mil. Braves paid Chipper Jones $90mil (to stay hurt) and Hawks paid Joe Johnson $123Mil. The point is………….. it takes more than one to win a championship. Spread the wealth!!!!!!!!!!
tonyb
March 8th, 2012
6:48 pm
Funny, on my home from work, when I heard the news on the radio, the very first thing I thought was of Hossa and Kovalchuk, and their feelings toward the Thrashers ownership. Now, the very same thing is happening with the Hawks. The ASG likes to pound their chests and talk about all of the great things they do for the Hawks. Yet here we are, just like the hockey team, we see the top players trying to bolt at first opportunity. What can an Atlanta sports fan to do. Our hockey team is now lost. I hope for better for the Hawks.
slimtebow
March 8th, 2012
6:53 pm
T.I. needs to buy the Hawks him and that sweet dude tyler perry they are stoopid rich enough to do it.
JSS
March 8th, 2012
6:53 pm
@ GA Fan…
“Falcons paid a rookie qb $65 mil. (really $72 million), Braves paid Chipper Jones $90mil (to stay hurt) and Hawks paid Joe Johnson $123Mil. The point is………….. it takes more than one to win a championship. Spread the wealth!!!!!!!!!!”
I’ve been saying the same for years… But hey, I’m called a “troll.”
JSS
March 8th, 2012
6:55 pm
T.I. needs to pay a good therapist and hire a better personal assistant!
GA FAN
March 8th, 2012
6:59 pm
@JSS
And stay out of PRISON!!! Lol!
rollo lawson
March 8th, 2012
7:06 pm
This team needs to be sold quick, fast, and in a hurry. This ownership is an embarassment to the City of Atlanta and State of Georgia. They are not basketball fans. Heck, they might not even be sports fans for all we know. With all the celebrities and affluent african americans in Atlanta, selling basketball to the masses should be a piece of cake. Instead, they have turned this city into an NBA wasteland!! Makes me sick to my stomach. If I owned the Hawks, Philips Arena would be the place to be every home game. Stop being freaking stingy and put a competitive team on the court and the money/sponsors/notoriety will come.
JSS
March 8th, 2012
7:07 pm
Perry has $350 million dollars tied in servicing construction and purchase private bonding for the next 30 years (that is what it took to build Tyler Perry Studios) and carries bonding for over $250 million dollars for productions. Yeah, “stoopid rich” equals working capital…
JSS
March 8th, 2012
7:08 pm
@ GA Fan…
Thus the therapist and the personal assistant… Some time a genius needs some help….
Jeff Schultz
March 8th, 2012
7:11 pm
Chuckman — I’m not a new CBA/amnesty expert. But I remember talking about this with Michael Cunningham after the lockout and I seem to recall it wasn’t really worth it for another year or two. I did Google and find this written on Hoopinion, which seems to summarize things pretty well (blog from November 2011). But consensus seems to be that it’s not worth Hawks using their amnesty clause for a year or two.
http://www.hoopinionblog.com/2011/11/amnesty-options-for-atlanta-hawks.html
jcwfalcon
March 8th, 2012
7:12 pm
As a lifelong fan of ATL sports I cant help but agree with Josh. ATL teams PEAK at 2nd or 3rd tier. They are never the best (except one Braves season). I wish I could trade myself to another city and pull for their teams that actually occasionally have a team that is THE BEST. Unfortunately my heart is too much into the Falcons, Hawks and Braves (and I would have to get my only tattoo, a Falcons logo, removed).
If I were Josh, I would want to go someplace else too. Its sad to say. I wish it wasnt true. The odds of bringing back a championship to the city of Atlanta are REALLY slim in any sport. Odds of making the playoffs=very high. Odds of doing anything in the playoffs=very low. Its just how it has been for a long time and I dont see it changing.
Jeff Schultz
March 8th, 2012
7:12 pm
SFrantom — I’m not sure what trade the Hawks could make that would appease Josh, especially with one of their most tradeable players (Al Horford) injured.
Jeff Schultz
March 8th, 2012
7:13 pm
JSS — I’ve never called you a troll. A few other things, probably, but never a troll.
Jeff Schultz
March 8th, 2012
7:16 pm
JSS (and others): Here’s the thing on owning sports teams: They’re really not great investments. With few exceptions, sports franchises don’t make money, particularly in the NBA. Any money that there is to be made is in the arena, not the team. But really, anybody who gets into sports ownership does it more for the ego trip and to live out this life-long fantasy of being a sports owner. It’s certainly not an “investment.”
Delbert D.
March 8th, 2012
7:24 pm
Maybe Minnesota world be better for Smith. Or, Sacramento. He could be a hero. They would love him.
falCANS
March 8th, 2012
7:26 pm
speechless…..awl I can say is told ya. #5 fa president
Aaron
March 8th, 2012
7:27 pm
The Atlanta Spirit kills another spirit.
hbcuclassics
March 8th, 2012
7:28 pm
HBCU Classic Sports
2012 Draft Preview
Corey Berry, DE, Howard
http://hbcuclassics.com/hbcu_showcase
blazerdawg
March 8th, 2012
7:34 pm
“Smith has been a treasure to watch for most of this season.”
Most true – love his effort and skill. Deeepressing that he wants out. Hawks are becoming the Clippers of the 80s and 90s.
Zing
March 8th, 2012
7:47 pm
I wish the Hawks had worked a sign-and-trade rather than sign JJ to that absurd contract… it was clear back then that Josh was the more important player to the team, and building around him might have stroked his ego enough to cause him to stay. Think about it: if the Hawks had done a sign-and-trade with, say, Dallas, they would’ve gotten a player like Caron Butler back and also been able to re-sign Jamal Crawford (or someone else–say, a big center like a Tyson Chandler). Which team would be better? I know my answer.
Zing
March 8th, 2012
7:49 pm
As it is, the Hawks have to hang on to that amnesty right to waive Johnson when the relationship between his production and his pay just gets so far out of whack that they’ve got to cut him.
If the Hawks could work a smart trade of Josh for maybe a high draft pick and a solid veteran guy, it might actually work out all right. But I’d hate to see him go–he’s been an exciting (if occasionally weird) player to watch.
Nookah
March 8th, 2012
7:53 pm
Perhaps this may have been brewing a long time ago. Josh may have spoken to Dwight which may be the reason we were never on his list anyway.
However, I can’t say I blame Josh as the ASG are certainly pathetic. For the Hawks sake I hope we can get valuable assets in exchange.
Go Hawks!!
tyger
March 8th, 2012
7:53 pm
Hawks championship window…is non-existent
Current core (JJ, Smoove, Al, Marvin) wont get it done…
ASG shown no inclination to spend over luxury tax…
Championship caliber teams (Dallas, Lakers, Boston, Chicago, Magic, Spurs)
All pay luxury taxes, i.e. to win a championship you have to pay luxury taxes…
Smoove 8 yr. vet – due extension next season – at end 12/13 yr vet…
Is there any reason to believe ASG will change its spending over next 4/5 yrs?
NO. JJ escalates to $20M+, Horford locked in, Marvin 2 yrs. + Smoove max +
Zaza due raise, Teague due raise – where’s change going to come from?
It’s not. ASG spent first 4 years in court, then tried to sell to the pizza man,
all after reneging on the used car dealer, who’s next? Jenny Craig?
As much as I hate to see him go, he deserves a chance at a chip…
This franchise has been resurrected from the urn of Kasten/Babcock…
And now is mired in the mediocrity of Joe Johnson’s contract…
No one should have to suffer through that but Joe and Rick Sund.
Diego
March 8th, 2012
7:58 pm
Actually, Jeff, Smith has been great EVERY night lately. He really did get screwed out of the All-Star game–and had a nice claim to it the last 2 years too. Josh is more valuable to the team this year than a healthy JJ. And Josh had better years the last 2 years than Horford, but the fact that there are VERY few centers (Hibbert this year?) means the All-Star game is easilty attainable for Al. Josh has got jobbed 3 years running, and should have been named to at least his 2nd All-Star game this year. (I know. I attend at least 40 Hawks games every year–in the pricey seats.) I hope we can keep Josh; in contrast, the way Zaza is playing lately, I’d move Al in a heartbeat for a fair trade.
LakeDawg
March 8th, 2012
8:01 pm
Hass Josh Smith’s improvement occurred because he’s finally maturing or is he trying to make himself attractive to other teams? I don’t know the answer, but I’ve seen too much of him and JJ. Let him go. The only time I care about the Hawks any more is when they’re playing all of their backups. Most of the back ups are past their prime or second rate, but they bring it every night like true pros.
Sage of Bluesland
March 8th, 2012
8:03 pm
I refuse to subsidize the incompetence otherwise known as the Hawks. Not a single dollar of mine iwll go into their undeserving pockets…
Jimmy Crack
March 8th, 2012
8:03 pm
Jeff is absolutely right about the owners. They are the true fanatics, watching their bank accounts dwindle yearly by the tens of millions all because they want own their favorite NFL team. They want to make their team the best team they can be with the best players available, but the salaries are getting ridiculous and some modern fans wouldn’t go to a game in their stadiums if you gave them free tickets, for a number of reasons including the advent of 50+” HD Televisions. Most owners lately have been paying in one way or another for the seats in their own upper decks to lift blackouts, but that may be included in the local television contracts as a caveat. All I know is going downtown is a pain in the Assenmacher.
Jimmy Crack
March 8th, 2012
8:05 pm
And basketball owners too, of course. lol
Diego
March 8th, 2012
8:13 pm
Sorry. I’ve just got follow up again. Jeff, I highly doubt if you watch a lot of Hawks games. (I’ve never seen you with the press there.) Yes, Smoove has had a fine season–and his best season yet. But he has had great seasons the last 2 years also, and this year has not been a quantum leap for him at all. You are oddly negative towards the Hawks, and seem to be in that same idiotic camp of casual Hawks fans who seem to equate Josh’s play the last few years with his early years of throwing balls away and extensive turnovers. Even his ball handling these days is quite good, and this evolution of Josh occurred 2-3 years ago, not particularly this season. You truly are part of the misinformed faux Hawks followers that have got Josh itching to go elsewhere. He is the best player on this team–even if we had a healthy Al and Joe (who is looking to be like the Hawks’s Alan Houston).
huh...
March 8th, 2012
8:29 pm
Didn’t the Hawks move to Canada?
Two Handed Set Shot
March 8th, 2012
8:37 pm
Does anybody really give a rat’s arse about the NBA anyway? Bring on the Falcons and let’s get past these putzes…………
Derrick
March 8th, 2012
8:45 pm
So, amidst all of this positive/negative prism of back-and-forth jabbering, what would be a concise, truthful, assessment of what Josh Smith could bring via value for the Hawks to obtain a very good player for him?
Someone mentioned B. Lopez from the Nets. He seems to be a piece of paper and is always injured, so that would be questionable, but if it’s true that Smith wants to team up with Dwight and Williams in Brooklyn, this wouldn’t surprise me.
This SuperTeam mind-set has become a true black eye casualty for the NBA. Seems like a team isn’t winning, that player “demands a trade” and suddenly wants to join a team where other stars have gravitated towards, rather than trying to build a name for themselves from whence they arrived.
I love Barkley’s criticism of LeBron, and how he should have stayed in Cleveland.
Suddenly all of these players are demanding or hinting towards trades, and if they aren’t doing that, they hint towards it via their lackluster, weakling-like play on the court. Body language is tell-all in psychology. Just look at Stephen Jackson in Milwaukee.
Now Brandon Jennings wants out of Milwaukee.
And it’s on and on the merry-go-round goes. Thank God Kevin Love stayed and signed in Minnesota, rather than looking to join a SuperTeam.
I suppose Kobe should join up with the Heat? Maybe have Dwight go to the Heat, as well? While we’re at it, let’s just send Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to the Bulls.
Sickening.
froggy
March 8th, 2012
8:51 pm
Re: professional sports economics, Jeff is a smart and talented guy, but like nearly all sportswriters he’s either clueless or uninformed about the economics that underpin professional sports. That should not be the case. This information is not hard to find — a 10 second Google search will turn it up. No one should be confused by the accounting shenanigans that claim a franchise lost money in a particular year. Look at the increasing value of the asset. This is from the most respected annual study of professional sports economics:
The average value of an NFL franchise continues to outpace other major sports in North America. Key factors for this growth include the NFL’s revenue-sharing model, revenues generated from new stadiums, and lucrative national TV rights fees which pay over $3 billion annually. The NFL’s average team value rose by $599 million overall at a 9.2% CAGR during the decade. However, the other major sports leagues also enjoyed considerable growth during the past decade. MLB’s average team value rose by $258 million overall and increased by a 7.7% CAGR during the period. The NBA’s average team value rose by $162 million overall and recorded a 5.9% CAGR during the period. The NHL’s average team value rose by $80 million overall and increased by a 4.4% CAGR
during the period. Franchise appreciation is underpinned by ever-expanding revenues, which continued to grow even during the recession. Indeed, revenues in three of the four sports grew at more than a 5% CAGR over the prior five years,with the NFL and NHL leading the way at a 6.6% CAGR. See Figure 9. Three of the four leagues’ operating income also grew, albeit at a slower pace than revenue growth or franchise appreciation.
Source: Forbes, WRHambrecht+Co
Believe me, if your home, or your IRA, appreciated in value at a compound annual growth rate north of 9 percent, you’d be pretty excited — especially in this economy. Better, more informed reporting, might discern the real reason that rich guys buy sports franchises. Jeff, I’m certain you can raise your game!
Vito
March 8th, 2012
8:55 pm
No Larry i hate Joe he suck if u r da star on da team u should get 20 every night even on a bad nigh