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By John Denton
Dec. 21, 2015
NEW YORK – When the Orlando Magic signed free-agent forward Jason Smith last July it seemed to be simply a move designed to replace Kyle O’Quinn, who left via a sign-and-trade transaction after inking an offer sheet with the New York Knicks.
As it turns out, Smith has been a major upgrade off the bench for the Magic on both ends of the floor.
Smith, a 7-foot power forward, entered Monday’s game against his former team as the NBA’s leader in defensive rating among players who have played at least 300 minutes. With Smith on the floor, Orlando is giving up just 88.5 points per 100 possessions. Several members of the San Antonio Spurs – owners of the NBA’s top defense – rank just behind Smith.
Magic coach Scott Skiles said on Monday that Smith has been so impressive on both ends of the floor that he is considering dramatically increasing his playing time.
``I always felt like he was a very good team defender and we felt like in a solid defensive system he’d be very good,’’ Skiles said. ``He’s really protected the rim for us and he’s been very good at moving around and communicating. He’s been very valuable for us.’’
Oklahoma City made a play to sign Smith, 29, in July, but the Magic convinced him to sign with them instead. Coach Scott Skiles said the Magic wanted Smith because he possesses a nastiness at the rim and is willing to hand out hard fouls when necessary. Smith has had some of the team’s most noteworthy blocked shots at the rim this season, stuffing Philadelphia’s Jahlil Okafor and Minnesota’s Shabazz Muhammad.
Of the players that Smith has guarded this season, they have shot just 36.9 percent against the 7-footer. And on shots of less than 6 feet, players have made just 43.8 percent – significantly less than the 59.2 percent those players have made from that distance against other foes.
Smith has also been stellar offensively, shooting 51.5 percent overall from the floor. Pairing nicely with Orlando drive-and-kick guards Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton, Smith has made 25 of 43 shots from 15-19 feet (58.1 percent). To put that into perspective, only guards Arron Afflalo (65.1 percent), Mo Williams (65.1 percent) and Tony Parker (58.9 percent) have shot better on mid-range shots with at least 40 attempts.
Smith was clutch time and again on Sunday night, hitting all five of his mid-range shots – the final one giving the Magic a one-point lead with six minutes to play.
SHAQ’S HALL OF FAME NOMINATION: Magic Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, who started his professional career in Orlando from 1992-96, was announced as one of the top candidates for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday.
During his time in Orlando, O’Neal led the Magic to the 1995 NBA Finals and the ’96 Eastern Conference Finals. In 295 regular-season games in a Magic uniform, O’Neal averaged 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.79 blocks per game.
Skiles was a teammate of O’Neal’s for two seasons in Orlando and he remembered the first time he played against Shaq in the weeks before training camp in 1992 at an Orlando area church. He said that it took him about ``10 seconds’’ to know that O’Neal was going to be an all-timer.
``He was clearly a can’t-miss and so athletic,’’ Skiles said of the 7-foot-1, 330-pound center. ``Because he is funny and on occasion does things that might seem a little outrageous or whatever, but he was a very serious competitor. That’s why I always admired him and why he’s one of my all-time teammates.’’
Some of the other candidates for the Hall of Fame: Allen Iverson, Yao Ming, Tom Izzo and Sheryl Swoopes.