Greg Smith (basketball, born 1991)

Last updated

Greg Smith
Greg Smith basketball player.jpg
Smith during his tenure with the Rockets
Personal information
Born (1991-01-08) January 8, 1991 (age 33)
Vallejo, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school
College Fresno State (2009–2011)
NBA draft 2011: undrafted
Playing career2011–2021
Position Center / Power forward
Career history
2011 Soles de Mexicali
2011–2012 Rio Grande Valley Vipers
20122014 Houston Rockets
2012–2013→Rio Grande Valley Vipers
2014–2015 Dallas Mavericks
2016 Raptors 905
2016 Minnesota Timberwolves
2016 İstanbul BŞB
2017 Blackwater Elite
2017 Osaka Evessa
2018 Bank of Taiwan
2019 Vaqueros de Bayamón
2019Blackwater Elite
2019 Mineros de Zacatecas
2021 Leones de Santo Domingo
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Stats at Basketball Reference  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Gregory Stephen Smith (born January 8, 1991) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Fresno State before playing in the NBA and overseas.

Contents

High school career

Smith attended Edison High School in Fresno, California from 2005 to 2008. As a junior in 2007–08, he averaged 22 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and five blocks per game. In 2008, he transferred to Westwind Preparatory Academy in Phoenix, Arizona where as a senior in 2008–09, he earned All-Arizona State honors and was nominated for the McDonald's All-America Team after he averaged 26 points, 14.4 rebounds, six blocks, four assists and three steals per game. [1]

College career

In his freshman season at Fresno State, Smith was named the 2009–10 WAC Freshman of the Year and earned Freshman All-American honors by CollegeInsider.com. In 33 games (all starts), he averaged 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocks in 27.7 minutes per game. [1] [2]

In his sophomore season, Smith earned second-team All-WAC honors. In 31 games, he averaged 11.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game. [1] [2]

In March 2011, Smith declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final two years of college eligibility. [3]

Professional career

Soles de Mexicali (2011)

After going undrafted in the 2011 NBA draft, and with the NBA lockout affecting players from signing with teams or playing in the summer league, Smith joined Soles de Mexicali of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP) in August 2011. [4] In his first professional game, Smith scored 18 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in a 107–72 win over the Aguilas Rojas. [5] He appeared in 27 games for Soles before leaving the club in late November to return to the United States in the wake of the NBA lockout concluding.

Houston Rockets / Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2011–2014)

On December 13, 2011, Smith signed with the Houston Rockets. However, he was later waived by the Rockets on December 22, 2011, after appearing in two preseason games. [6] On December 28, he was acquired by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers as an affiliate player. [7]

On February 8, 2012, Smith re-signed with the Rockets to a multi-year deal. [6] The next day, he was assigned back down to the Vipers. He was later recalled by the Rockets on February 18, reassigned on March 21 and recalled again on April 8 following the conclusion of the Vipers' season. [7] Having played mostly for the Vipers in his rookie season, Smith was named to the All-NBA D-League first team and the All-Rookie first team. [8]

In July 2012, Smith joined the Rockets for the 2012 NBA Summer League. On February 10, 2013, he was reassigned to the Vipers. [9] Four days later, he was recalled by the Rockets. [10] On March 30, 2013, Smith received his first career start. In 30 minutes of action, he recorded 9 points and 8 rebounds in a 98–81 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. [11] He subsequently remained in the starting lineup for the remainder of the regular season. He went on to start the first game of the Rockets' first round playoff match-up against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but moved back to a bench role for game two following a large Game 1 loss. [12]

In July 2013, Smith re-joined the Rockets for the 2013 NBA Summer League. [13] On November 14, 2013, he injured his right knee during a game against the New York Knicks which resulted in Smith being helped from the floor and missing a month of action. [14] On December 15, he returned to the line-up. However, he re-injured his knee a month later and was sidelined indefinitely. On April 10, 2014, he was waived by the Rockets. [15]

Chicago Bulls / Dallas Mavericks (2014–2015)

On April 14, 2014, Smith signed with the Chicago Bulls for the rest of the 2013–14 season. [16] However, still suffering from the knee injury he sustained in January, Smith did not appear in a game for the Bulls in 2013–14, missing the team's final two regular season games and all five playoff games against the Washington Wizards. [17]

On July 14, 2014, Smith was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for the rights to Tadija Dragićević. [18] He became a free agent in the summer of 2015.

Raptors 905 (2016)

On January 5, 2016, Smith was acquired by Raptors 905 of the NBA Development League. [19] He made his debut for the team two days later, recording 15 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 block as a starter in a 102–98 loss to the Sioux Falls Skyforce. [20]

Minnesota Timberwolves (2016)

On March 2, 2016, Smith signed a 10-day contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. [21] He made his debut for the Timberwolves later that night in a 104–98 loss to the Washington Wizards, recording four points, one rebound and one assist in 10 minutes off the bench. [22] He later signed a second 10-day contract with the Timberwolves on March 12, [23] and a rest-of-season contract on March 23. [24] On June 30, 2016, he was waived by the Timberwolves. [25]

İstanbul BŞB (2016)

On October 7, 2016, Smith signed with İstanbul BŞB of the Turkish League. [26] He appeared in seven games for İstanbul before parting ways with the team in late November.

Blackwater Elite (2017)

On March 4, 2017, Smith signed with Blackwater Elite as an import for the 2017 PBA Commissioner's Cup. [27] In his PBA debut, Smith scored 37 points and grabbed a career-high 30 rebounds in a 116-118 2OT loss to the Phoenix Fuel Masters. [28] [29] In 10 games, he averaged 27.7 points, 21.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.

Osaka Evessa (2017)

On August 8, 2017, Smith signed with Osaka Evessa of the Japanese B.League. [30] He left the team in December 2017. In 20 games, he averaged 9.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

Taiwan and Puerto Rico (2018–2019)

Between November and December 2018, Smith played in Taiwan for Bank of Taiwan, where he averaged 14.3 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.2 blocks, in 15 games. [31] In March 2019, he joined Puerto Rican team Vaqueros de Bayamón. [31]

Return to Blackwater Elite (2019)

On July 15, 2019, Smith signed with Blackwater Elite, returning to the team for a second stint ahead of the 2019 PBA Commissioner's Cup playoffs. [32] In Game 2 of the Commissioner's Cup Playoffs, Smith recorded 31 points and 18 rebounds to force a do-or-die Game 3 against Rain or Shine. [33]

Mineros de Zacatecas (2019)

On July 12, 2019, Smith signed with the Mineros de Zacatecas for the 2019–20 LNBP season. [34]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2011–12 Houston 808.6.636.000.0002.5.1.2.61.8
2012–13 Houston 701015.9.620.000.6234.6.4.3.66.0
2013–14 Houston 1109.1.643.000.4002.5.0.1.23.5
2014–15 Dallas 4228.6.612.000.5131.9.2.2.31.9
2015–16 Minnesota 18010.7.563.000.4122.3.3.2.12.4
Career1491212.3.617.000.5763.3.3.2.44.0

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2013 Houston 5111.8.667.000.5002.6.0.4.43.6
2015 Dallas 101.0.000.000.000.0.0.0.0.0
Career6110.0.667.000.5002.2.0.3.33.0

Personal life

Smith is the son of Cheryl Duckworth and has an older sister, Ashely and a younger brother, Divante. His uncle, Steve Shelley, was a Fresno State wide receiver in 1988–89 who later signed with the San Diego Chargers in 1990. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Brooks (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1985)

Aaron Jamal Brooks is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He was selected 26th overall in the 2007 NBA draft. Brooks won the NBA Most Improved Player Award for the 2009–10 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Stepheson</span> American basketball player

Alexander Stepheson is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for North Carolina and USC.

Michael Harris is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Magnolia Hotshots of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donatas Motiejūnas</span> Lithuanian basketball player (born 1990)

Donatas Motiejūnas is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for AS Monaco Basket of the French LNB Pro A and the EuroLeague. He was drafted 20th overall in the 2011 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves before going on to win the 2012 Polish Basketball League championship with Asseco Prokom Gdynia. After spending four seasons with the Houston Rockets from 2012 to 2016, Motiejūnas joined the New Orleans Pelicans in January 2017.

Jermaine Taylor is an American former professional basketball player. Taylor was a starting guard for the University of Central Florida basketball team before being selected with the 32nd overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards, and soon after traded to the Houston Rockets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Monroe</span> American basketball player (born 1990)

Gregory Keith Monroe Jr. is an American former professional basketball player who is a player development coach for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 2010 NBA draft with the seventh overall pick and became the last Pistons player to wear the number 10 jersey, as the Pistons retired the number for Dennis Rodman in 2011. In his freshman season at Georgetown University, Monroe was named Big East Rookie of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Beverley</span> American basketball player (born 1988)

Patrick Beverley is an American professional basketball player for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroCup. Originally from Chicago's West Side, Beverley played college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks. He spent the first five years of his pro career overseas, playing in Ukraine, Greece, and Russia. In January 2013, he joined the NBA, signing with the Houston Rockets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Stiemsma</span> American basketball player (born 1985)

Gregory Stiemsma is an American former professional basketball player who spent four seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played high school basketball for Randolph High School and college basketball for the University of Wisconsin–Madison, before going undrafted in the 2008 NBA draft. A 6'11" center, Stiemsma was known for his defense and shot blocking ability during his playing days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrence Jones</span> American basketball player (born 1992)

Terrence Alexander Jones is an American professional basketball player who last played for Piratas de Quebradillas of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marqus Blakely</span> American basketball player (born 1988)

Marqus Austin Blakely is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Vermont.

Marcus Lynn Cousin Jr. is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Seton Hall University and the University of Houston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Robinson (basketball)</span> American Lebanese basketball player

Thomas Earl Robinson is an American-born naturalised Lebanese professional basketball player for Homenetmen Beirut of the Lebanese Basketball League. A consensus All-American at the University of Kansas, Robinson was drafted fifth overall in the 2012 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaiah Canaan</span> American basketball player (born 1991)

Isaiah Canaan is an American professional basketball player who plays for Crvena zvezda of the ABA League and the EuroLeague. He was an All-American college player at Murray State University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toure' Murry</span> American basketball player

Toure' Ahmad Khalid-Murry is an American former professional basketball player who is a player development coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Wichita State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Covington</span> American basketball player (born 1990)

Robert Covington is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Tennessee State Tigers and in 2018, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Troy Daniels</span> American basketball player (born 1991)

Troy Daniels is an American professional basketball player who last played for Olimpia Milano of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where in 2013, he set the Atlantic 10 Conference record for made three-point field goals in a single game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K. J. McDaniels</span> American basketball player (born 1993)

Kevin "K. J." McDaniels Jr. is an American professional basketball player for Pelita Jaya Bakrie of the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL). He played college basketball for Clemson University before he was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 32nd overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Frazier II</span> American basketball player

Michael Frazier II is an American professional basketball player who last played for the NBA G League Ignite of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Florida Gators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Troy Williams</span> American basketball player (born 1994)

Troy Williams is an American professional basketball player. He previously attended and played college basketball for Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danuel House Jr.</span> American basketball player (born 1993)

Danuel Kennedy House Jr. is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played two seasons of college basketball for the Houston Cougars before transferring to the Texas A&M Aggies. During his senior season, he was instrumental in the Aggies' first share of a regular-season Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship, as well as their run to the Sweet Sixteen in the 2016 NCAA tournament.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Greg Smith Bio". GoBulldogs.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
  2. 1 2 "Greg Smith Stats". Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
  3. "Greg Smith Leaves Fresno State For NBA Draft". RealGM.com. March 17, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
  4. Schroeder, Scott (September 6, 2011). "Fresno State's Greg Smith Made Peculiar Move By Signing In Mexico". RidiculousUpside.com. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  5. "Soles de Mexicali 107 - Aguilas Rojas 72". EuroBasket. September 1, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Greg Smith Signs with Rockets". NBA.com. February 8, 2012. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
  7. 1 2 "2011-12 Transactions". NBA.com. Archived from the original on October 31, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  8. "NBA Development League Names 2011-12 All-NBA D-League Selections". NBA.com. May 2, 2012. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  9. "Houston Rockets Assign Greg Smith to NBA D-League Affiliate Rio Grande Valley Vipers". NBA.com. February 10, 2013. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  10. "Rockets recall Jones, Smith from D-League". NBA.com. February 14, 2013. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  11. "Notebook: Rockets 98, Clippers 81". NBA.com. March 30, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  12. "Notebook: Thunder 120, Rockets 91". NBA.com. April 22, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  13. "2013 Southwest Airlines Pro Summer League Rosters". NBA.com. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  14. "Notebook: Rockets 109, Knicks 106". NBA.com. November 14, 2013. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  15. "Rocket Sign Dexter Pittman". NBA.com. April 10, 2014. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  16. "Bulls sign Smith for remainder of the season". NBA.com. April 14, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  17. "Greg Smith 2013-14 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  18. "Mavericks acquire forward Greg Smith from Bulls". mavs.com. July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  19. "Raptors 905 Acquires DeAndre Daniels and Greg Smith". NBA.com. January 5, 2016. Archived from the original on January 13, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  20. "Heat's Richardson, Stokes Lead Skyforce Comeback". NBA.com. January 7, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  21. "Wolves Sign Greg Smith to a 10-Day Contract". NBA.com. March 2, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  22. "Wizards' bench delivers 4th straight win, 104-98 over Wolves". NBA.com. March 2, 2016. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  23. "Timberwolves sign Greg Smith to second 10-day contract". InsideHoops.com. March 12, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  24. "Wolves Sign Greg Smith for Remainder of Season". NBA.com. March 23, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  25. "TIMBERWOLVES WAIVE GREG SMITH". NBA.com. June 30, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  26. "Greg Smith inks in Turkey with Istanbul BSB". Sportando.com. October 7, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  27. Ramos, Gerry (March 4, 2017). "Blackwater taps NBA veteran, D-League All-Star Greg Smith as Commissioner's Cup import". Spin.ph. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  28. "Blackwater 116 - Phoenix 118". EuroBasket. March 18, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  29. Sacamos, Karlo (March 18, 2017). "Greg Smith exhausted in move from NBA role player to Blackwater go-to guy in grueling PBA debut". SPIN.ph. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  30. "Osaka Evessa signs David Wear and Greg Smith". Sportando.com. August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  31. 1 2 "Greg Smith". latinbasket.com. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  32. Naredo, Camille B. (July 15, 2019). "PBA: Blackwater taps Greg Smith to replace hurting import Blair". abs-cbn.com. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  33. "Blackwater Elite 100 - Rain or Shine Elasto Painters 96". RealGM. July 23, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  34. Mérida, Daniel (July 12, 2019). "Gilberto Clavell and Greg Smith Will Be Two of the Imported Miners of Zacatecas". Cancha Latina (in Spanish). Retrieved October 26, 2019.