This offseason Josh Smith chose to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers over the Houston Rockets due to playing time concerns, and he thought it gave him the best chance to win. So far Smith's tenure in L.A. hasn't exactly gone as he had hoped, as he has had friction with coaches, his playing time has been sporadic and he hasn't played all that well. Now it seems like teammates might be taking subtle jabs at him, according to Robert Morales of InsideSoCal.com.
In the Clippers' last game, a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Smith didn't appear for the first time all season as he was a DNP- coaches decision, and head coach Doc Rivers went with Cole Aldrich in the rotation instead. After the game Blake Griffin was praising Aldrich, but it seemed like some of his statement was directed at Smith.
"The way he played with the second unit, setting screen and rolls, he was just out there to do his job, I think that is a huge quality for him. That was a prime example of being a star in your role and not trying to reach outside of that. He just did what we needed him to do and that was huge," said Griffin.
Griffin was certainly heaping praise on Aldrich and it is impossible to know whether he was taking shots at Smith, but it is hard to not think that. Earlier this season Smith was involved in a shouting match with an unnamed assistant coach in the locker room as he was frustrated with his playing time. More recently Rivers said that there was at least one player on the team that wasn't buying into the system, and considering Smith seems to now be out of the rotation, the best guess might be that it is him.
Rivers and Smith's teammates are reportedly not happy with the fact that he continues to chuck up threes as he is making just 32 percent from beyond the arc, and they just want him to play his role. Aldrich did that when he got his chance on Monday, and now Smith might have some work to do to make his way back into the rotation. The Clippers already have plenty of star power with Griffin and Chris Paul; what they need from Smith is for him to play his role, which means solid defense and timely scoring.
