The Detroit Pistons expected a lot from their big free agent acquisition Josh Smith this season after signing him to a $54 million contract last summer. However, the team continues to be a perennial whipping squad and on Friday, Smith said he should not be entirely blamed for the Pistons struggles.
"I am an easy target to be able to blame. I'm very outspoken," Smith told DetroitNews.com. "I'm an emotional player. I can easily be a target night in and out."
Smith is shooting a career-low 41.8 clip from the field, taking 3.4 shots from the three-point area and attempting the most shots per game in his 10-year career.
"If you played the game, if you know X's and O's, it's not all my fault," Smith continued. "I'm not gonna say I'm perfect, by far, but I'm not the guy you can point the finger at. I'm a firm believer in you point one finger at one person, point three back at yourself."
The Pistons pried him away from his hometown Atlanta Hawks with the hope that he could be the leader of the franchise and nurture young big men Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe. The twin tower combination of Monroe and Drummond also forced him back to his small forward position, but so far the results have been disappointing.
Veteran guard Chauncey Billups, however, came to the rescue of Smith, saying: "When you're on a losing team, everybody has to accept the blame. He came here with a lot of excitement, expectations, and when you don't meet them, everybody has to take their own. I'm not gonna be the one to say who needs to take the most, but every single person, including myself, has to take responsibility for losing."
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