76ers' pursuit of Smith could have changed Hawks

[DrReality]

Hawks 76ers’ pursuit of Smith could have changed Hawks

By SEKOU SMITH

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Friday, October 31, 2008

Had things gone a bit differently over the summer, the Hawks’ home opener tonight against Philadelphia at Philips Arena would have a juicy twist.

Hawks power forward Josh Smith could be standing there for the opening tip against Al Horford, instead of trying to tap the ball to him.

Rich Addicks / raddicks@ajc.com

After being pursued by the 76ers, Clippers and Grizzlies last summer Josh Smith re-signed with the Hawks.RELATED STORIES

For about a week in July, when Smith was the center of the free agent rumor mill that involved a recruiting visit to the City of Brotherly Love, the possibilities were endless.

“I wasn’t even in the country when all that stuff started but it shook me up hearing about it,” Horford said. “You just never know with free agency. I’m just glad things ended up the way they did, because Philadelphia was obviously very interested in him. The same things he does for our team he would have brought to their team. And with the guys they have, you add a player like Josh, and they would have been ridiculously explosive.”

The 76ers were the first team to pursue Smith, inviting him to town for a red-carpet tour of the city and their facilities. But they never presented Smith with an offer, opting instead for Elton Brand with a five-year, $82-million contract.

Despite rumors to the contrary — some have suggested the Sixers used Smith as a smokescreen to pursue Brand — the interest from the 76ers was genuine.

“People were saying I was using Smith as a decoy,” Sixers general manager Ed Stefanski told the Philadelphia Daily News earlier this week. “There was no decoy. We were going after him hard. The way we play, Josh Smith would fit us. But we were talking to both players at the same time; we decided to go the Brand route.”

Smith knew as much. That’s why he didn’t fully invest in the idea of joining the 76ers without an offer.

“It was definitely a thought, that I might be up there for real and playing with Louis [Williams], Thaddeus [Young], Iggy [Andre Iguodala] and all those guys that I know,” Smith said. “It sounded like it could be a devastating concept. The way Sixers] coach [Mo] Cheeks was describing it to me and how he wanted to play, man, it would have been unbelievable. He was talking about running and gunning but with defense as the backbone of what we’d be doing. What player doesn’t’ want to be a part of that?”

It never happened, of course.

Smith wound up watching his own situation take countless twists and turns over the next month, including a recruiting visit to the Clippers. It took a five-year, $58-million offer from Memphis in mid-August to bring things to a close. And in the end, the one card the Hawks had — the ability to match any offers to their prized free agent — ended up ruling the day. They matched the Grizzlies’ offer the same night.

“For us and our Hawks family, whatever happened, he was going to get matched,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. “That’s what [our owners] told everybody from the start and that’s the way it went down.”

And the Hawks, Woodson insists, are better because of it. Smith was fantastic in Wednesday’s season-opening win over Orlando, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks, four steals and no turnovers.

“Wherever I played this season,” Smith said, “they were going to get the same thing from me, a guy who is going to do any and everything he can to help his team win. I understand what Philly did. There’s no hard feelings there. I thank them for showing interest. It just didn’t work out.

“But I’m going to the wire no matter what is on the front of my chest. That’s the same thing I told them when I was visiting Philly and the same thing I told [the Hawks’ brass] when it was clear that I was coming back. And I’m a man of my word.”

[High5]

"Hawks power forward Josh Smith could be standing there for the opening tip against Al Horford, instead of trying to tap the ball to him."

What a terrible sight that would be.