Local Hoopster Nolan Smith is Working Hard
to Get Back into the NBA
His
father, the late Derek Smith, was a journeyman guard in the league, playing
nine seasons with five different teams after a successful college career at the
University of Louisville, which included a NCAA Championship in 1980.
Derek was known in basketball circles for his tenacity, grit and relentless drive. He would acknowledge that other players may have more raw talent, but no one was going to outwork him.
"Hard
work is definitely who he was," said Nolan about his father. "No
matter what it was, tennis, track, basketball, school, he always preached
working hard."
For
the first eight years of his life, Nolan was Derek's shadow. He quietly and
intently studied and internalized his father's every word and move. Nolan
idolized Derek, and wanted to be exactly like him: competitive, but with an
unwavering positive attitude and an out-sized joy for life, his family and the
game of basketball. Eighteen years later, he still does.
Derek
passed away suddenly and unexpectedly from an undetected heart defect in 1996.
At the time, Derek was starting his third year as an assistant coach for the
Washington Bullets (now Wizards) and brought Nolan to countless practices and
games, just so they could spend time together. That was part of Derek's deal to
accept the job--Nolan had to be welcome to tag along for everything.
"He
always just told me watch--watch what [the pro players] do, how they carry
themselves, how they handle their business," said Nolan. "I watched
them, but I also watched him. Every day."
Nolan
lost his hero and North Star. Derek's NBA friends stepped in to help fill the
void--Juwan Howard and Johnny Dawkins assumed "big brother" status.
Coach Jim Lynam took Nolan under his wing. Their mentoring and support were
invaluable, but it was the lessons, love and wisdom from his father that formed
Nolan's foundation as an athlete and person.
Talent
was clearly inherited. People often say to Nolan "you look so much like
your father," or "you move like your pop."
"I
love that people see him in me," said Nolan.
But
it is in his commitment to hard work and his joie d'vivre that he most
resembles his father. These are the comparisons he cherishes. And this is what
will carry him through the toughest stretch of his short professional career as
he works he way back into the NBA.
Nolan
was drafted out of Duke in 2011, with the 21st pick by the Portland Trail Blazers.
It was a somewhat surprising move, because the general consensus from pre-draft
camps had Smith as a second-round player with the leadership skills, but not
necessarily the technical skills, to handle the point in the pros. Scouting
reports noted that his limited shooting range and 6'1" size excluded him
from shooting guard options in the NBA.
Draft
Express scout Jonathan Givony posted in 2010, "From a physical standpoint,
Smith isn't likely to blow anyone away with his athleticism or upside...[he] is
more smooth than he is explosive, relying on his smarts, timing and outstanding
fundamentals to get the job done."
As
a combo guard, Smith needed to find the right role in the right system in order
to gain a foothold in the league. Portland wasn't the answer.
He
spent his first two pro seasons as a backup point guard, parked on the bench of
a mediocre Blazers team. Despite his familiarity with the NBA, Portland was an
adjustment, and he never found his groove, only averaging 3.3 points, 1.2
assists and one rebound per game with limited playing time.
Smith
joined a middling franchise from a top-notch college program where he finished
as a (rare) senior who racked up national accolades including first-team All
American in 2011, and a 2010 national championship. Smith may not be flashy,
but he knows how to win--he was part of a senior class that compiled a home
winning record of 65-2.
However,
in the NBA, your resume and pedigree don't matter. It's a "what have you
done for me lately" business. Athletes who find their niche and produce
are the ones who endure.
The
Blazers did not exercise Smith's option in 2013, and he became an unrestricted
free agent. Opportunities within the NBA were limited, and Smith landed in the
Euroleague for the 2013-14 season with Croatia's Cedevita Zagreb. He was the starting point guard, and played
significant minutes averaging 13.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per
game for the season and shot 46.3 percent from the field.
It
was a solid, consistent season, but not in Smith's desired league. His dream
has always been the NBA, like his dad. Playing well in Europe didn't satisfy
him.
So,
Smith, at age 26, is back in the U.S. for NBA Summer League, and is hoping to
snag a roster spot in the NBA for the upcoming season.
Summer
League is a proving ground. It's where teams learn the true strengths and
weaknesses of the players they drafted and where guys who have been riding the
bench in the regular season can claim minutes to show what they can do with an
opportunity. It's also where the players on the margins--the ones in the
D-League or toiling in the outposts of Europe and China--can prove that they
have what it takes to compete every day, in the NBA.
Historically,
the Summer League hasn't been kind to Smith. It was cancelled his first year in
the NBA, due to the lockout. In 2012, Smith suffered a concussion during the
last few seconds of a mid-tournament game. He had racked up 27 points, five
rebounds, five assists and two steals before the injury and had to halt his training
for the summer to recover. Smith signed with the 2013 Celtics Summer League
team and suffered a right calf tear in the first game.
He
gave it another shot this summer with the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team looking
for a new backup point guard, after Derek Fisher left to become head coach of
the New York Knicks.
Smith
played significant minutes in two of five games, with his best performance
against Brooklyn accumulating 11 points, 4 assists and 3 steals in 22 minutes. But
shortly after Smith was added to the roster, the Thunder signed free agent Sebastian
Telfair, another guard drafted by the Blazers (2004) who spent last season
playing overseas (China).
This
does not change the course Smith and his agent, former NBA point guard BJ
Armstrong, charted earlier in the summer. That plan includes plugging away at
his game every day and finding quality minutes in competitive forums.
Armstrong's
counsel has been consistent, "Focus on the process and don't worry about
the results. Nolan is doing the work and I give him all the credit. Everyone wants the results and no one wants to
go through the work necessary to get there."
No
one can say that about Nolan--it's where his father's imprint peeks through: hard
work, perseverance and a positive attitude.
Hard
work means weights, treadmill and court time every day. Smith is also working
with Philadelphia basketball trainer "Chuck" Ellis Gindraw to refine
his ball handling and hone his decision-making.
"He's
hungry right now--his work ethic is through the roof," said Gindraw.
"We're focused on playing like an old school point guard--how he gets to
his spots and makes others around him better, or gets defense to commit and
then dish, or getting and taking the open shots."
Smith
is facing a big decision in the next few weeks: take a guaranteed contract with
a Euroleague team in Istanbul, or accept an invitation to training camp with
the Thunder or another NBA team, knowing that the odds of securing a permanent roster
spot are slim.
"There's
no formula of how to get to the NBA," said Armstrong. "There are an
infinite amount of choices, so you have to figure out what's the best for that
person to reach [his] potential and be the best [he] can be."
The
NBA D-League is also an option, but one that Smith is not considering.
"The
name of the game is to make money at this point," said Smith. "I'm
still young and I still want to play basketball. There's not as much money to
make here [in the D-League], so I'm looking at Europe."
This
should not preclude him from realizing his goal to make it back to the NBA. With
advances in technology, scouts can follow athletes in real-time, regardless of
where they play. If you're good and fit the system, an NBA general manager will
find you.
"The
NBA is about one thing--who is going to help them win games. Period," said
Armstrong. "Every team is trying to win. That's the one thing we all
share--players, GMs, coaches, [all] want guys that will help them win."
In
a recent Summer League game broadcast, NBA icon Isiah Thomas talked about how
challenging it is for unsigned players to secure permanent spot.
"Timing
is everything, you have to be a little bit lucky...rosters change throughout
the year. Every other month someone either is underperforming or someone is
getting hurt and you just have to stay ready and be ready."
Smith
is ready to play. And, he is not ready to give up his NBA dreams.
"In
my ideal scenario, I'm playing the game I love, making good money, having
another successful season which will open more doors to get back into the
NBA," said Smith.
Smith
understands that there are no short cuts and no guarantees. It's all about hard
work and a positive attitude. His father's son, Smith is committed to improving
his game, every day, regardless of where he lands.
PODCAST LINK: https://soundcloud.com/teegrec/sports-talk-back
PODCAST LINK: https://soundcloud.com/teegrec/sports-talk-back
18 comments:
well done, shlara. not sure how actual journalism fits with our usual dipshittery, but glad to have someone class up the joint.
i also like how we're using new fonts for different posters.
writing without irony, obscure allusions, or filler! that's hard work! i expect more of this in the future . . .
update on the ankle front:
after icing, compressing, elevating, taking aleve, and drinking a beer last night, i stood up at around 8:30 and my ankle made an audible popping sound. from that point the pain steadily diminished. i woke up this morning with nothing but a very mild twinge when i walk. it's the damnedest thing.
So you are not carrying around a large container of uric acid? I think you should just try putting warm butter on the aggravated area.
no container, danimal. i drink a decent amount of beer, but i eat no red meat and only a little seafood.
it was "the china study" that did it for ya on the red meat wasn't it?
it was the surgery to remove my gall bladder and ensuing gastrointestinal discomfort that comes with eating red meat that did it for me. every once in a while i crave a steak and eat one, but i usually pay for it.
here's hoping tom watson can resist the considerable pressure that the pga tour will put on him to select eldrick for the ryder cup squad. we're gonna get smoked either way, but at least without tiger we'll get smoked without the sideshow.
Good on you for not pilfering, Rob.
My guess is that Watson will put the decision on Tiger. And my guess there is that Tiger will bow out. Of course, I'll probably be wrong on both counts.
Today's humblebrag = 3 of the 4 major hosts and the Ryder Cup venue = clients.
rob, have you seen the Bo Jackson 30 for 30? I would go see a doctor about your ankle even if it feels better at the moment.
are you trying to worry me about necrotizing bone matter? 'cause that's not cool.
Danimal- re: your question in the last post about bone marrow. You can pick some up in the meat section of Publix. They generally have a few packages ready to go. Do it.
Thanks for giving me the forum Gheorghies!
you realize, of course, that we will now expect you to do this on a regular basis, right?
robin williams is dead, of an apparent suicide. gutting.
Watching John Isner play Kevin Anderson is like watching two giraffes play tennis.
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