In what was often something of an inconsistent year for the Orlando Magic, journeyman Jason Smith provided a valuable presence off the bench.
Upon signing veteran big man Jason Smith, there was skepticism among the Orlando Magic faithful.
Many felt the team had brought in Smith as a replacement for a younger player who was a better rebounder, defender and hustle player in the form of Kyle O’Quinn. But while O’Quinn struggled to make an impact in New York, Smith had a solid first season in Central Florida, doing well in his role as backup center.
Smith has always been known as a knock-down mid-range jump shooter, and this season was certainly no exception.
What was interesting, however, was the 30 year old appeared to show several wrinkles to his game that were unexpected. He played generally good team defense, showed some on-court leadership, and at times even resembled a rim protector.
That is not to say Smith had a perfect season — far from it. His individual defense, while improved, was still lacking. He was the team’s worst big-man rebounder, and as he played more minutes, his game started to become exposed.
Coming off the bench however, Smith certainly showed his quality, and that may have been enough to convince the Orlando front office to bring the journeyman back for another season with the team, following the expiration of his one-year, $4.5-million deal.
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