Josh Smith and Maurice Cheeks butting heads?

[BleedGreen1989]

Josh Smith didn't play the second half of a 106-82 blowout against the Washington Wizards, the second time head coach Maurice Cheeks has made that decision this season.

This time, Smith suggested Cheeks called him out for not playing hard, and that he took "real offense" to the accusation.

Smith also was benched the second half of a Nov. 12 game at Golden State.

"Like I told y'all before when we had this conversation, when you hit adverse times, characters are gonna be tested," Smith said.  "It's either that we're gonna come closer together and make it all one team, or are you gonna use a scapegoat to get away from what's really at hand?"

Asked if Smith will start Monday's home rematch with the Wizards, Cheeks replied, "I assume he will.  I don't know why he wouldn't.  We'll wait until that next game gets there."

Smith said he isn't inclined to have a personal discussion with Cheeks about their disagreement before the next game.

"To me, it's over with," Smith said.  "But you know, some people hold grudges longer than others.  I don't know.  I don't know.  I'm not saying that he (Cheeks) does.  I don't know.

"But I'm not the type of person that really likes to go all the time in the coach's office and have one-on-one sitdowns.  I'm more of a team morale guy, worrying about what we can do, as far as teammates are concerned, to make ourselves more successful."

"It's an honor for me to play, you know what I'm saying?  So when anybody challenges -- or anything about the fact that, you know, about me not wanting to play -- then I take real offense to it," Smith said.

This was the third time Cheeks has disciplined Smith this season.  In addition to the two second-half benchings, Smith also was omitted from the starting lineup for a Nov. 22 game against Atlanta after missing practice the day before.

That practice was called on the team plane, after a back-to-back which concluded in Atlanta, Smith's hometown.  NBA teams typically don't practice after playing back-to-backs, and Smith wasn't on the team plane when Cheeks surprised everyone by calling the practice.

[nickagneta]

So glad we didn't go after this guy. I watched the Detroit/Orlando game and he was just awful. His effort in that game was atrocious. He deserved to benched in that game to.

[Onslaught]

So glad we didn't go after this guy. I watched the Detroit/Orlando game and he was just awful. His effort in that game was atrocious. He deserved to benched in that game to.

I agree. If we had picked that punk up we'd been the Atlanta Hawks for a few years. No thanks.

[pearljammer10]

So glad we didn't go after this guy. I watched the Detroit/Orlando game and he was just awful. His effort in that game was atrocious. He deserved to benched in that game to.

I agree. If we had picked that punk up we'd been the Atlanta Hawks for a few years. No thanks.

Im still a bigger Smith fan than most and I still think he brings a lot to the table when hes giving his best. Alongside Pierce and KG I think he would have been a great addition. Not so sure about a rebuild Josh Smith though, so in that light I will agree here.

[danglertx]

So let me get this straight, teams don't usually practice after back-to-backs.  Cheeks decides to call a practice on the team plane home.  Smith wasn't on the team plane home.  And Cheeks is mad that Smith missed a practice he presumably didn't know about or possibly wasn't even in town for?

And we are blaming Smith for that?

[moiso]

He would drive me crazy if we signed him.  He has Antoine Walker syndrome.  When he attacks the rim or posts up he kicks serious butt.  But Smith still believes he is a shooter.  If he had the mentality of Iquodala or someone like that he would be a major asset to any team.  The way he plays does almost as much damage to his own team as it does to the other team.

[Onslaught]

So glad we didn't go after this guy. I watched the Detroit/Orlando game and he was just awful. His effort in that game was atrocious. He deserved to benched in that game to.

I agree. If we had picked that punk up we'd been the Atlanta Hawks for a few years. No thanks.

Im still a bigger Smith fan than most and I still think he brings a lot to the table when hes giving his best. Alongside Pierce and KG I think he would have been a great addition. Not so sure about a rebuild Josh Smith though, so in that light I will agree here.

Other then being a possible knucklehead he'd be fine as a 3rd option on a good team. But on a team like ours right now I'd want nothing to do with him.

And those other two options before him would need to be older players he had to respect. I'd not want him on a young team.

[Lucky17]

As I've maintained all season, I firmly believe that it will be Josh Smith, not Greg Monroe, who will be traded by the Pistons before the deadline.

[BleedGreen1989]

As I've maintained all season, I firmly believe that it will be Josh Smith, not Greg Monroe, who will be traded by the Pistons before the deadline.

I'm sure they would like to but is Dumars going to admit a mistake that fast?

Also, you'd have to think it would really hurt any little free agent draw Detroit may have.

Sign a guy to a big money contract, convince him to come and be a key component, and then trade him halfway through his first season with the team?

[Lucky17]

As I've maintained all season, I firmly believe that it will be Josh Smith, not Greg Monroe, who will be traded by the Pistons before the deadline.

I'm sure they would like to but is Dumars going to admit a mistake that fast?

Also, you'd have to think it would really hurt any little free agent draw Detroit may have.

Sign a guy to a big money contract, convince him to come and be a key component, and then trade him halfway through his first season with the team?

Not if the trade is believed to have happened at the request of the player, or portrayed as an amicable divorce/mutual decision.

Besides, why would Smith have a problem? The team trading for him would presumably want him as a starter, and he'd still be getting paid.

[Who]

I don't think Detroit considers breaking up their frontcourt until the summer or next year's trading deadline. I would be very surprised to see them give up on a long term strategy so quickly and trade G.Monroe or J.Smith at this year's trade deadline.

[KGs Knee]

As I've maintained all season, I firmly believe that it will be Josh Smith, not Greg Monroe, who will be traded by the Pistons before the deadline.

I'm sure they would like to but is Dumars going to admit a mistake that fast?

Also, you'd have to think it would really hurt any little free agent draw Detroit may have.

Sign a guy to a big money contract, convince him to come and be a key component, and then trade him halfway through his first season with the team?

Not if the trade is believed to have happened at the request of the player, or portrayed as an amicable divorce/mutual decision.

Besides, why would Smith have a problem? The team trading for him would presumably want him as a starter, and he'd still be getting paid.

Yeah, players want out of bad situations too.  Smith isn't being put in the best position for his own, or the teams, success.  Whether it's his own doing or not is inconsequential to the player.

Smith probably signed the contract with Detroit knowing a move would need to be made eventually, whether it was him or Monroe being moved.  Maybe he does really believe he can play SF efficiently.  Put him on a well coached and constructed team and I still believe he can thrive.  He really needs a strong coach who can command his respect.  Doc/Pop are coaches who could likely do it (if not nobody could).

[BballTim]

So let me get this straight, teams don't usually practice after back-to-backs.  Cheeks decides to call a practice on the team plane home.  Smith wasn't on the team plane home.  And Cheeks is mad that Smith missed a practice he presumably didn't know about or possibly wasn't even in town for?

And we are blaming Smith for that?

  You'd have to imagine that Smith not being there was likely the impetus for the practice.

[jambr380]

I don't think Detroit considers breaking up their frontcourt until the summer or next year's trading deadline. I would be very surprised to see them give up on a long term strategy so quickly and trade G.Monroe or J.Smith at this year's trade deadline.

I was kind of under the impression that part of their long term strategy was to sign the best players possible while under the cap and then adjust the line up later with trades.

Smith, for all of his imperfections, was paid about what he should have been (lower than the max). Det locked him up without giving up anybody - something pretty difficult to do with such major salary cap restrictions.

You had to believe that Monroe and Drummond were playing for the 'center of the future' gig while the other would be shipped out. It looks as though Drummond has cemented himself in that role and now Det either needs to trade Monroe or Smith for an impact sf...step forward Jeff Green.

[RJ87]

At some point, Detroit has to admit that signing Josh to be their full-time starting SF wasn't a great idea. If they didn't already have Monroe and Josh was brought in to the play the 4, the move wouldn've made more sense to me.