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Get To Know Him | Greg Smith

What’s His Name:

Gregory Smith

Why Are We Talking About Him?

On Tuesday, the Wolves signed him to a 10-day contract, giving the team some depth at the forward and center positions.

Where Is He From?

Smith was born in Vallejo, California in 1991. He’s still relatively young at 25 years old. He played high school at Edison High School (same high school that Bruce Bowen attended) before transferring to Westwind Preparatory Academy in Phoenix for his senior year. Smith went on to play at Fresno State and averaged 11.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game before turning pro after his sophomore season.

He played with someone named Bracken Funk during his sophomore year.

Where Else Has He Played Professionally?

Smith oddly enough started his career out professionally in Mexico after being undrafted. From 2011-2012, he played for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and averaged 16.6 points and 7.8 rebounds becoming a D-League All-Star. He then was brought up to the Houston Rockets from 2011 to 2014. During his time in Houston, he was effective, averaging 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game. He last played in the NBA during the 2014-15 season for the Dallas Mavericks. In 42 games he averaged 1.9 points and 1.9 rebounds. He’s played 17 games with the Raptors 905 of the D-League this season and averaged 12.6 points and eight rebounds per game.

Where Have You Heard Of Him Before?

If you follow the NBA closely, you probably remember him for his stretch with the Rockets. He was so solid for the Rockets after being brought up from the D-League, that Houston actually signed him to a multi-year contract. He was a rotational player for the Rockets in the playoffs in 2012-13, playing 12 minutes per game over five games in Houston’s first-round loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

He also once tied his shoes in the middle of the game, which is something we hope he learned from. 

Describe Him To Us:

Smith can play both the power forward and center position, which is a plus. Nothing he does offensively is going to wow you, but he’s coordinated for a big man and can run. He reminds me a bit of Jeff Adreian, who the Wolves picked up last season. He’s a meat and potatoes guy, but he has a little more athleticism that Adreian. Maybe the potatoes have some extra garlic in them. He does the majority of his scoring inside and is strong enough to fight through contact.

Social Media Highlights:

Be yourself, Greg says.