Josh Smith spent 13 seasons in the NBA and got to play alongside some special talents during that time. So, when Smith was asked to build a starting five of himself and four former teammates on the Knuckleheads podcast, you knew he would be able to put together a pretty good lineup.
"I'mma go Mike (Bibby) at the one, I'mma go James (Harden) at the two, I'mma go Joe (Johnson) at the three and you said me? I gotta put me? ... Me and Al Horford," Smith said.
Co-host Darius Miles asked Smith if he was not going to put Dwight Howard at the five and he stated that was because he was past his best due to back injuries when they were teammates. Smith was informed that he had to consider all his former teammates in their prime and he then decided to put Howard in for Al Horford.
So, the final team is Mike Bibby, James Harden , Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, and Dwight Howard. You've got a fine defensive frontcourt in Smith and Howard there, with the former's shooting prowess ensuring there would be no spacing issues too. Harden and Johnson, meanwhile, are terrific scoring options while Bibby provides a steady presence at the point guard spot.
While that's a good team, there are a fair few notable omissions there. Smith also got to play with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin during his brief stint with the Los Angeles Clippers. He appeared in three games for the New Orleans Pelicans in 2017 too, in which he played with Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins.
So, if I had to make the best possible five here, I'd go with Howard, Davis, Smith, Harden, and Paul. That's quite a formidable lineup and you won't find too many better ones than that.
Josh Smith Plays 'Start-Bench-Trade' With Paul Pierce, Tracy McGrady, And Carmelo Anthony
Earlier in this episode, Smith also played the 'Start-Bench-Trade' game. The players given to him were Paul Pierce, Tracy McGrady, and Carmelo Anthony and it didn't take him too long to decide who was going to be shipped out of town.
"Paul getting traded," Smith said. "... No disrespect to Paul, man. That's a hell of a list, though you just threw at me. Hold on, let me see. I'm about to start Melo, I have to bench Mac, and trade Paul."
I'd say Smith made some good picks there. If I had to change anything, I might give McGrady the edge over Anthony, if we just look at their primes, as he did win back-to-back scoring titles in 2003 and 2004. I think it's a toss-up between them, though, and there's no wrong choice as such.
Smith had great battles with all three men and even managed to get the better of them on the odd occasion. While he never became a star like them, he had quite a few special moments on the court.
Smith, who was selected with the 17th pick of the 2004 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks , would finish his career with averages of 14.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game. As for his notable accomplishments, he won the 2005 Slam Dunk contest, was named to the All-Defensive Second Team in 2010, and finished sixth in DPOY voting in 2008.
Related: Andrei Kirilenko Includes Kobe Bryant In His All-Time Starting 5 From His Former Teammates
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