Washington Wizards: Jason Smith Provides Needed Depth At Center Position

By Ben Mehic | Aug 6, 2016

Dec 16, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic forward Jason Smith (14) blocks the shot of Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb (3) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Amway Center. The Orlando Magic won 113-98. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

Washington Wizards were one of the most injured teams in the NBA last season, so adding players like Jason Smith this summer was necessary

“It’s better to be safe than sorry” is a cliche phrase that injury plagued NBA teams should certainly try to follow.

The Washington Wizards led the league in man games lost in April and their chances of making the NBA Playoffs became nonexistent.

The team’s construction was flawed and injuries shouldn’t get all of the blame for Washington’s wasted season.

Ernie Grunfeld signed players that had built reputations of being prone to injury. The team was old and broken down, so injuries weren’t all that surprising last season.

This summer, Washington took the safe route by adding younger, more versatile players that could withstand the grind of an 82 game season.

Sometimes, though, youth might not be enough to prevent injuries. They’re going to happen regardless, even if the necessary precautions were taken. That’s why having legitimate depth at all positions, especially at the frontcourt, is crucial.

The Wizards haven’t had much depth at the frontcourt positions in quite some time.

They have always been forced to depend on players that weren’t always the most reliable. This upcoming season, it should be the quite opposite of what we’re accustomed to seeing.

Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat could comprise one of the most underrated duos in the NBA.

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Neither player will likely make an All-Star team, but their games mesh well together.

Morris’ ability to score inside and out, coupled with his willingness to play defense makes him a perfect fit next to Gortat, who’s more of a traditional center.

When Jared Dudley started along side Gortat, the team lacked size and toughness inside.

Dudley, who’s played small forward for most of his career, was forced to defend the likes of LaMarcus Aldridge and Anthony Davis. Those mismatches alone made the Wizards an easy team to score against.

The mismatch problems were taken care of once Morris arrived.

During the second half of the season, the Wizards were the fifth best defensive team in the NBA.

The addition of Morris, and the weak schedule, helped the team regain their identity on that end of the floor.

Gortat and Morris will continue to lead the way up front, but the second unit has to carry a similar presence.

Ian Mahinmi, who was one of the league’s best defenders this past season, will become an enforcer off the bench, and will possibly finish games for the team as well. Next to him, the Wizards added Andrew Nicholson, who’s more of a stretch big.

Again, the two bigs have games that complement each other.

Mahinmi is a soid pick-and-roll center, but will get most of his buckets by doing the dirty work inside. The opposite is true for Nicholson, who shot 36 percent from three last year in Orlando.

After adding those two bigs in free agency, the Washington Wizards signed Jason Smith, which came as a surprise to most covering the team.

I, like many others, criticized the move.

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Other big men with more upside, like Dewayne Dedmon, were available at a discount price.

With that criticism remaining true and the terms of his contract put aside, there are legitimate reasons why the Wizards wanted Smith.

Smith played in all 82 games for the New York Knicks in 2015 and played 76 games for the Orlando Magic last year.

That sort of reliability from big men is rare, and given the Wizards’ history with injuries, they clearly wanted a big they could count on to play. Smith is that guy.

Both Gortat and Mahinmi have been dependable in their careers, but once again, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

If either player goes down, having to count on a developing big man could end up being a disaster.

Washington knows what they’re going to get from Smith, who’s played eight years in the NBA.

Per-36 minutes, Smith averaged close to 17 points and 7 rebounds per game last season. Percentage-wise, Smith is consistently one of the best pick-and-pop shooting big men in the league.

It’s difficult to find a big man with a go-to move, so to speak. Smith is seemingly automatic from the mid-range area. There aren’t a lot of third string centers in the NBA that could be counted on for that sort of production.

Smith, even more importantly, is a better defender than advertised. The scrappy big averaged 2 blocks per-36 minutes last year. He moves his feet well and has the size to bang down low.

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When flu season comes around, people flock to the supermarket to stock up on hand sanitizer. Smith is exactly that for the Washington Wizards. If one of the bigs goes down, they will have someone dependable waiting for his chance to play.

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