Hawks Owner Calls Josh Smith 'Closest Thing to LeBron'

[HawkItus]

Hawks Owner Calls Josh Smith 'Closest Thing to LeBron'

4/21/2010 12:34 AM ET By Chris Tomasson

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o Chris Tomasson

o Senior NBA Writer

Josh SmithATLANTA -- No need to move over, LeBron. You'll still be the marquee attraction during these NBA playoffs.

But let us introduce the world to LeBron South. You might not know much about him since the Hawks play in the NBA outpost of Atlanta. Even though they're located just down the road from the Turner studios, they rarely get on TNT during the regular season.

On Tuesday night, their Game 2 of an East first-round series was relegated to NBA TV. That network also is based in Atlanta, but you get the point.

For those who missed it, it was a scintillating show by Hawks forward Josh Smith. He had a near triple-double with 21 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in the 96-86 win over Milwaukee for a 2-0 series lead.

"He's the closest thing to LeBron in the league,'' Hawks owner Michael Gearon Jr. said in an interview after the game with FanHouse. "I'm not saying he's LeBron. But just look, he gets assists, he rebounds, he blocks shots. He's a game changer. ... Just look at his stats.''

Share While Gearon calls Cleveland's King James "the best I've ever seen,'' he doesn't know of another player in the NBA who fills up the box score like Smith. He had regular-season averages of 15.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.6 assists and Tuesday finished second in the voting for NBA Defensive Player of the Year behind Orlando's Dwight Howard.

Smith had finished his interviews for the night and was greeting friends in a Philips Arena hallway. But when he was told the owner had just called him the NBA's "closest thing to LeBron,'' how could he not pause for a moment?

"It feels good, especially coming from the owner,'' Smith said. "To be noticed like a guy that's a future Hall of Famer, and I thought already was one before he got in the league, is special.''

But does Smith agree with Gearon's statement?

"I'll let everybody make their own comments,'' he said. "I don't give myself comparisons to a person. I just go out and play and I'll let people take it from there.''

For those who don't get NBA TV, highlights of Smith's play Tuesday will show up on plenty of other networks. Game 4 on Saturday in Milwaukee will be on ESPN.

The series opener featured a solid all-around performance by Smith, with 12 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. But Tuesday he was mesmerizing.

Smith threw down a bevy of dunks to ignite the sellout crowd of 18,938, He played solid defense, and the Hawks' stat crew must have been snoozing with the claim he had just two blocks. He also didn't get any credit in the box score for altering several Milwaukee attempts as the visitors shot just 41.1 percent.

"He's one of those players that can control the game. ... You've always got to worry about him when taking the ball to the basket."

- John Salmons "He's one of those players that can control the game,'' said Bucks guard John Salmons. "His athleticism is as good as anybody's in the league. You've always got to worry about him when taking the ball to the basket. He's a good rebounder, catches some lobs, he's running the floor, gets offensive rebounds, does a lot of dirty work.''

Salmons was speaking as if he's Smith's agent rather than his foe. But, just in case Smith's representation is taking note of the owner calling him the NBA's "closest thing to LeBron,'' he's not a free agent until 2013.

Before Smith signed a five-year, $58 million offer sheet with Memphis that was matched by the Hawks in August 2008, there were reports of friction between Smith and Atlanta coach Mike Woodson, who becomes a free agent himself after the season. But those days seem long gone, and sources told FanHouse on Tuesday it should be a mere formality that Woodson receives an offer from the Hawks for a new contract after the playoffs are over.

As for Smith being the most pivotal player on the Hawks, that's apparently nothing new. Gearon remembers talking with players in December 2007, four months before Atlanta would make its first playoff appearance in nine years and take eventual champion Boston to seven games in the first round.

"It was the only time in my lifetime I've ever sat down with players alone and just sort of talked about stuff, and everyone back then was like, 'Josh is the key (to the team),' " Gearon said of Smith, a six-year veteran who is 24 but was just 21 entering the month those comments were made. "Even then, people were like, 'He's the key.' He does different things. The intensity rises for the whole team. It was interesting to hear that even back then.''

Gearon said he doesn't mean to take anything away from Hawks All-Star guard Joe Johnson, who had a game-high 27 points against Milwaukee and averaged a team-high 21.3 points during the regular season. And one presumes he also doesn't mean to take anything away from Atlanta's other All-Star from last February, center Al Horford, when Gearon says Smith "deserved to be on the All-Star team as much as anybody on our team.''

There's no disagreement from Horford.

"When Josh plays like that, we're at our best'' Horford said after Tuesday's game. "We're going to go as far (in the playoffs) as Josh Smith takes us.''

That comment about a teammate sounds downright Lebronesque. And, while we're at it, let's bring up another comparison between the two.

Both are hometown heroes. James is from Akron, Ohio, just down the road from Cleveland. And Smith is from the Atlanta suburb of College Park, Ga.

"I just try to bring as much energy as possible,'' Smith said when told of Horford calling him the key to the team. "I don't want to put any added pressure on. I'm already playing at home, being from here, and I get a lot of criticism from my family and everybody else. So I don't try to put any added pressure on me. I just go out and play as hard possible.''

This, though, is when any comparisons to James might have to stop. One doesn't think those in the King's court have too much critical to say about him.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com or on Twitter @christomasson

Read More: Bucks Hawks Playoffs joe+johnson, john+salmons, josh+smith, lebron+james, michael+gearon+jr, mike+woodson

[prolific25]

I've always thought of Iguodala as the homeless man's Lebron.

[NineOhTheRino]

No! anyone mentioning Smoove in the same breath as LeBron (even though i hate him with a passion) should be censored.

[niremetal]

No! anyone mentioning Smoove in the same breath as LeBron (even though i hate him with a passion) should be censored.

Yeah, I feel the same way. I hate LeBron too, but really asking which current player is "most similar" to him is like asking which Chevy is "most similar" to a Rolls.

Edited April 21, 2010 by niremetal

[Deeman]

I would say Smoove is more like Lamar Odom, or Shawn Marion.

[capstone21]

I would say Smoove is more like Lamar Odom, or Shawn Marion.

Odom can dribble and hit the outside shot.

[macdaddy]

The best compliment I can think of is he's really not like anyone. He's an average ball handler but can lead a break. He's a terrible shooter but can still drive to the hole even though no one thinks he'll shoot the J over them. He's not really a back to the basket, tall post up guy but he gets a lot of assists for a PF. No one really blocks the way he does. He rarely fouls out.

The one thing i'll claim is that many of us on this board have known for years that he is the key to this team. Last year he was still having bone-headed GAMES now you only see that here and there and its turned this team into a contender. I can't think of a whole lot of guys who have improved their skills the way he has.

[exodus]

Gearon's comment brings to mind an old commercial. They show an egg frying and a voice says;

"This is your brain on drugs."

[HawkWeisErrr]

And he is also team MVP.

[AHF]

I think Gearon is maybe hoping the refs start treating him like Lebron!

[GST]

Gearon should have kept his mouth shut. Josh plays his best when he doesn't believe the hype and his ego is in check.

[lethalweapon3]

Can Smoove's people, like LeBron's, pull a Nike and confiscate this news clipping, or at least keep it outside the 216 area code? I don't want any evidence of this hanging around should the Hawks and Cavs manage to reach the EC Finals.

~lw3

[wfhawkfan]

Maybe smoove will get his own chase down block segment on sportscenter now. Shoulda had one 4 years ago.

[JJFOR3]

And he is also team MVP.

are you selling that rookie card of him of have yet LMAO , he isnt NOT the team MVP NOT EVEN CLOSE, but he is one those important pieces , what is it with you and josh smith first hes better than joe ? really

[BusBoyIsBack]

They are probably the two most athletic 6'8 240+ pound specimens in the league and both really really good at the chase down block, but seriously what a horrible comparison

I know what he was getting at with the idea that Josh Smith can fill up a stat sheet, but the way they do it is just so dissimilar. Josh Smith is not even close to the offensive threat that LeBron James is, and although Josh is a dang good passer, LeBron is one of the best in history for a player his size.

Josh is a much more defensive oriented player than LeBron.

[Rome26]

Josh Smith is more comparable to guys like Marion, Kirilenko, Gerald Wallace.

[HawksFan87]

Well all of the owners have said time and time again that Smoove IS this team's mvp whether u agree with that or not oh well. With that being said you guys can also stop the Trade Smoove threads or suggestions, he is not going anywhere. That is all :)

[Plainview1981]

No! anyone mentioning Smoove in the same breath as LeBron (even though i hate him with a passion) should be censored.

Outside of scoring ability it's a lot closer than people think. Josh Smith's play in the playoffs seems to be steady more often than not, but he has been really effective in the first two games of this series. The beauty of Josh's game is that he can't ever truly be shutdown. He can do so many things that only he can completely stop himself.

[Plainview1981]

Odom can dribble and hit the outside shot.

Odom also plays half assed most of the time.

[HawkItus]

Biggest difference to me? Lebron is broadband, always on. Josh is really good dial up. Yeah, once he gets logged on you see some good things. But, damn it can take a long time to connect.