Guess who’s back? Russ Smith’s back, tell a friend.
When former Louisville basketball star Russ Smith is on a basketball court it’s as if the world is doing a bit of self-healing. It’s been over a year since Russdiculous has played competitive basketball, but that didn’t stop him from doing what he does best; get buckets.
Just days after the official announcement of #2 going into the rafters forever at Louisville, Smith got back into the world of basketball. He did so by entering the NBA G-League’s player pool, opening up the possibility of being claimed. This allowed for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, a direct affiliate of the Indiana Pacers, to nab his services and add him to their roster mid-season.
It’s no surprise that Russ needed no time to get going in the G-League. With COVID ravaging the NBA, teams have been handing out 10-Day contracts like Michael Scott hands out bad advice. Don’t believe me? Recognize any of these names?
Ahmad Caver, Jaysean Paige, Trayvon Palmer, Jordan Shackel, Jordan Goodwin, Craig Sword, Brandon Goodwin, Shaq Buchanan, Xavier Moon, Emanuel Terry, Hassani Gra… Okay, I’ll stop. You get the point.
With players being put into health and safety protocols at rates never seen before, teams have been scrambling for new players to add to rosters. Smith, now healthy, clearly recognized that and wasted no time trying to find his way back to the league.
For years Louisville fans and even those who know college basketball and the NBA have wondered aloud why Smith hasn’t been on a roster since 2015. After being drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans, Smith was traded to the Grizzlies in his first NBA season. He played 21 games before being released and ultimately sending him out as a basketball vagabond. After stops in the G-League, China, and Turkey, Smith’s NBA return never presented itself despite incredible (world record-breaking) statistical output.
That journey is one I bet Smith would say he wouldn’t change. It’s allowed him to see the world and given him the opportunity to launch his own brand of spirits. Still, the fire to get back to the NBA was never more evident than in Smith’s debut for the Mad Ants on Thursday evening against the Raptors 905.
It took Russ about five seconds to find his rhythm and once again bring up the question “why is he not in the NBA?”
Playing 32 minutes off the bench, Smith poured in a game-high 43 points on 15-30 shooting from the field and 4/10 from three. Of those 43 points, 24 points came in the fourth quarter with the game in the balance. In addition to the scoring, Smith chipped in 3 rebounds and 2 steals, while knocking down all 4 of his free throws.
One game in the G-League isn’t going to automatically mean a call-up is coming, but it should begin putting him back on NBA radars. The pace at which G-Leaguers have been called up has slowed over the last week (at least compared to what it had been), still players are getting opportunities to move up. If this play continues over the course of 5-10 days, Russ will be on an NBA roster. The NBA trade deadline may complicate things, in terms of finding a permanent home (teams will be looking to free up roster spots to make moves) but the time will come.
The Fort Wayne Mad Ants will become must-watch television if Smith keeps up this type of scoring. The next opportunity to see him on the court comes Saturday at 1:00 in a rubber match with the Raptors 905.
