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Los Angeles Lakers: A Title for Joe Smith Cements Disappointing Career Legacy
Sixteen summers ago in 1995, the Golden State Warriors passed up on guys like Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Jerry Stackhouse, and Antonio McDyess and selected Joe Smith as the No. 1 overall pick from the University of Maryland. He put up several solid seasons with the Warriors before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]
Years have passed since his glory days in college when he won College Player of the Year. He has now become one of the most infamous draft picks, completely failing to reach his potential. But he finds himself on the bench of the Lakers in 2011. The only times he plays are when the score is lopsided. He stands there and cheers for his teammates just hoping they can deliver him a ring in June. So that perhaps, he can go into the sunset with something to be proud about.
In recent years when the Lakers won the championship, [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]
Joe Smith, however, looks at a career marred with a failure to reach potential and some controversy. Coupled with the fact that he never became the player the Warriors thought he would be was a situation in the early 2000s where he and then general manager Kevin McHale of Minnesota agreed to give Smith a large pay cut with a guarantee that he would get a larger contract in a few years in an effort to spend more money on other free agents short-term.
This was a loophole around the salary cup which the NBA eventually noticed and punished the Timberwolves' franchise, taking away three first-round draft picks and $3.5 million. These punishments crippled the Wolves for years to come. After consecutive losing seasons, they are just finally starting to turn the corner with the prospects of Kevin Love. [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]
Joe Smith's career sank into the bottom of the sea like the Timberwolves did. He did not average more than 11 points per game and was often a throw-in during deadline deals. He also found himself on pretty bad teams, until now.
Although he can do nothing about it, Joe Smith is hoping to root on his talented teammates en route to his first ring. He can always be seen on the Lakers bench with his training suit on giving Kobe and the rest of the team support during timeouts.
It's all he can do now to get the ring he covets so much, so that he can walk away from the game knowing at least something went right.