Joe Johnson recently looked back on one of the great contradictions of Josh Smith’s Atlanta Hawks career: a physically dominant power forward who sometimes seemed determined to make his living from behind the three-point line.
During a podcast conversation with Smith and former Hawks teammate Jeff Teague, Johnson reflected on how difficult Smith was to stop when he attacked the basket. At 6-foot-9 with elite athleticism, strength and explosiveness, Smith could finish above the rim, overpower smaller defenders and create major problems in transition. He was also one of the NBA’s most disruptive defenders, combining shot-blocking with the mobility to guard several positions. During his nine seasons in Atlanta, Smith averaged 15.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.
That made his fascination with jump shots especially maddening to teammates and fans. Smith was never a reliable outside shooter, yet he regularly drifted away from the areas where his athletic advantages were most pronounced. Across his Hawks tenure, roughly 32 percent of his attempts came from between 10 feet and the three-point line, illustrating how much of his offensive game was spent away from the rim.
Joe Johnson reflecting on when Josh Smith use to shoot 3s for a living instead of being one of the most dominant inside PFs at the time 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/zDhOwM3O41
— The Hood Therapist (@OhhMar24) July 30, 2026
Johnson’s point was not that Smith should never have taken an open three. The frustration came from watching an unusually powerful interior player settle for difficult perimeter attempts when defenses had far fewer answers for him near the basket.
The contrast was clearest during the 2009-10 season, when Smith almost completely removed the three-pointer from his game. His improved shot selection helped produce one of his most effective seasons, and contemporary coverage praised his decision to focus more heavily on the skills that made him special.
Smith’s former teammates can laugh about it now, especially with the man himself sitting beside them. At the time, however, every long jumper represented a missed opportunity to use one of the league’s most imposing combinations of size and athleticism.
