After losing big man Sean May to injury earlier in the week, it appears Joe Smith, the power forward most associated with having the words "former No. 1 pick" written before his name every time somebody writes about him, will sign a deal with the New Jersey Nets.
The power forward averaged 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds for the Atlanta Hawks last year. He'll have trouble breaking into a Nets rotation - he's likely to back up spryer bigs in Troy Murphy, Derrick Favors, and even Kris Humphries at the four spot, but he can still be a dependable big man, even now in the twilight of his career.
People often mock Smith as a No. 1 overall pick - in the 1995 draft, he went immediately head of four future all-stars in Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, and Jerry Stackhouse - because of the rather mundane nature of his career - he hasn't averaged above 15 points since his days third year in the league. But truth be told, he's been nothing if not servicable, averaging 11.1 points over the course of a 15-year career. He's got an effective mid-range jumper that got him into the rotation with the Cleveland Cavaliers a few years back. But his most likely effect will be that of a mentor on one of the least experienced teams in the league: other than Smith, the most experienced player on the team is the 26-year old Travis Outlaw, who is entering his seventh year in the league - Smith almost doubles him up on the dawn of his 16th year.