Josh Smith: HOH’s Week 14 Silver Booster Award Winner
The Houston Rockets have gotten through Week 14 roughly unscathed.
In the past 10 days, they’ve only sustained one loss and that was to the Golden State Warriors Wednesday, Jan. 21.
That’s a pretty good track record if you ask me!
The Rockets continued to do the things that made them successful — play hard-nosed defense, shoot the ball well from all over and tap into the infinite resources of James Harden.
This past week, we’ve found out that Dwight Howard’s right knee is still giving him mobility problems as it was found that there was additional fluid buildup in that area.
He has left H-Town to seek an additional opinion in regard to the best way to recover from such a malady.
So until we find out, this team will have to press on without him and they’ve done fine so far without him in the lineup.
He’ll be needed in the postseason — when he usually turns it up a notch so I’m all for him taking the time he needs to get ready for that.
What a week!
Jan 28, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward
Dirk Nowitzki(41) controls the ball during the first quarter as Houston Rockets forward
Josh Smith(5) defends at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
But there has been a guy that has played consistently well for the entire week and has not relented!
His performance makes me proud to be a Rockets’ fan and even more proud that he’s is on our side.
Because of this, excellence deserves to be recognized — today on that type of basis continuously, we will honor an individual player that made the most impact in helping the team, despite whether it resulted in a win or a loss.
We’ve dubbed it House of Houston Silver Booster Award…
And this week’s Silver Booster Award goes to…
Other than a couple of weeks ago, I cannot think of a player who has played better this week than J-Smoove.
He has clearly understood what his role is on this team and the team is flourishing because of it.
Last week, J-Smoove averaged 12.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 2.0 BPG while shooting 21-for-47 (45 percent) from the field, 6-for-11 from behind-the arc (55 percent) and 3-for-4 from the charity stripe (75 percent).
It’s as if Smith was looking to seek refuge from the floundering Detroit Pistons who continue to tumble into the cellar of the Eastern Conference.
So, meanwhile, while the Pistons are doing that, he’s with a team that’s in the upper echelon of the Western Conference on the verge of making its third consecutive playoff run in as many years.
I just wished the outcome of Saturday night’s game against the Pistons was different.
But I’m still not sure what D12 told him while he goes out to tend to his knee but it must’ve been some powerful stuff.
We’ve seen him swish three-pointers, we’ve seen him throw it down in the paint, we’ve seen him block shots with authority while defending opponents as if his life depended on it.
That’s the complete package of the revamped, new and improved J-Smoove, being the lightning rod, the spark plug off the bench to take the Rockets to another level.
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His expertise will certainly be needed as the Rockets start the trekking toward the end of the season and transition to the postseason.
I certainly can’t wait as he continues to get better and better in grasping Kevin McHale‘s system.
Until then, keep doing what you’re doing J-Smoove!
I, as well as many other Rockets’ fans certainly appreciate it!
Go Rockets!