Ish Smith retirement sets up strangely familiar challenge for Westbrook

The Journeyman King and former Denver Nuggets champion, Ish Smith, is officially retiring. Smith is best known for his nomadic basketball career where he played for an NBA record 13 different teams. With that being said, he was also an underrated part of the 2022-2023 Nuggets.

The 6’0” speedy PG began his decade-and-a-half career by suiting up for 9 different teams through his first 6 seasons in the NBA. He eventually found a few multi-season homes with the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards later in his career, until he was eventually acquired by the Nuggets through the Kentavious Caldwell-Pope trade.

KCP was obviously the huge addition in that deal that helped push Jokic and company over the top, but Ish Smith was a nice cherry on top for Denver in the trade. The then 34-year-old had a bigger impact than his stats might indicate as the Nuggets cruised through their championship season.

Ish Smith provided qualities for Denver in 2023 that they lacked last year

Smith appeared in 43 regular season games for the Nuggets and saw the court in garbage time for 4 playoff games. He averaged a mere 2.5 PPG and 2.3 APG in 9.3 MPG, but his importance to team chemistry and leadership went far beyond that.

At 34-years-old, Smith was the 2nd oldest player on the Nuggets title team, just edging out DeAndre Jordan and only trailing 36-year-old Jeff Green in the experience department. After he and Green both went elsewhere during last offseason after winning the championship, the Nuggets veteran-filled locker room took a hit.

In addition to the experience, Ish Smith brought joy and enthusiasm to that team which cannot be overlooked. While some veterans or bench depth players have a desire for more minutes or are thinking about their next contract, Smith seemed genuinely excited for the opportunity to be around the team and to be able to witness Jokic and Murray’s greatness on the road to a title.

Russell Westbrook now joins Denver and will look to bring that same experience, joy, and enthusiasm this upcoming season for the Nuggets that Smith brought in 2022-2023. Smith, on the other hand, will enjoy the newest chapter of his story in retirement as he transitions from a player to pro scout for the Washington Wizards.