"It's not even about me": Ish Smith is the perfect Nuggets veteran

It’s a shot Ish Smith has practiced thousands of times. From his days at Wake Forest to all 13 stops across his 13-year NBA career, it’s always been his bread-and-butter. The mid-range jumper is a lost art in today’s NBA. But to Smith, it’s his signature. It’s his go-to. It’s the area on the floor where he feels most at home.

The ball was in his hands Monday night with the game on the line and the Nuggets looking for their first win of the preseason. Smith dribbled towards the 3-point line, then put the ball on the floor a few more times as he crept closer to the paint. Eventually, he fired up his patented shot, an over-the-shoulder mid-range pull-up jumper from his zone 20-feet out.

“I know analytically it’s not the prettiest shot, but I don’t care,” said Smith. “If I make it, what are they gonna say?”

“I say (the mid-range) is like a thousand paper cuts. Eventually, you’re just going to bleed out.”

The basket gave the Nuggets a 107-105 lead over the Suns. Denver went on to win its first preseason game of the season by that score.

“That pull-up shot that he shot tonight, you see that in practice. That’s his shot,” Christian Braun said. “You see that every day. That’s a shot that he works on and that’s the shot when he had the ball, we kind of knew that he could get to that midrange pull-up.”

Smith, the Nuggets’ third-string point guard, got heavy minutes Monday partly because of Jamal Murray’s absence due to hamstring tightness and engineered Denver’s second-half comeback vs. Phoenix. He scored 12 of his team-high 17 points in the second half. He was shifty but at the same time steady. He was the Nuggets’ engine and their caboose in the fourth quarter.

But when asked about his individual performance after the win, Smith instantly deflected. He pivoted to Denver’s biggest team-wide storyline from the 48 minutes that were just played: For the first time all preseason, the Nuggets defended. Denver, without four starters — Murray, Nikola Jokic (wrist), Aaron Gordon (rest) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (rest) — held a Phoenix team that started Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Torrey Craig, Mikal Bridges and Deandre Ayton and played them all nearly 30 minutes to 105 points. The Suns shot just 42.7% from the floor and 32.4% from 3. After hitting seven 3s in the first quarter, Denver held Phoenix to only five over the rest of regulation.

“Honestly it’s not even about me,” Smith said. “For us to win big, win a championship like I think all of you guys think we can, in the locker room we think we have a chance, we’re going to have to defend. Tonight, we defended at a high level.”

It’s exactly what Michael Malone has been pleading for over the last couple of weeks. Denver entered training camp with the lofty goal of finishing the season as a top-5 defense. After the Nuggets’ first two games, those aspirations seemed far-fetched. Malone had continually praised his team for how focused they were at training camp in San Diego and how spirited Denver’s practices have since been. But somehow, in Malone’s words, the Nuggets’ two worst days all preseason were the two games that they played.

Against the Phoenix, Denver was physical. They were tough, and they stayed locked in. Bones Hyland, who left the game in the third quarter with a lower left leg sprain and did not return, brought a defensive spirit and tenacity to the first quarter that the rest of his teammates adopted. The injury by the way doesn’t seem serious. Bruce Brown played his most impactful game of the preseason and helped hold Booker to 5-17 shooting. It was the team-wide defensive focus and intensity that Denver’s coach has been desperately searching for.

“Denver Nuggets basketball,” Malone called it.

Behind closed doors, Smith has been advancing Malone’s defensive rallying cry. He’s pulled guys aside throughout the preseason to preach the importance of defense. The 34-year-old has been around the NBA block. He’s well-traveled and knows what it takes for a team to come together.

Smith is also spreading basketball knowledge to the younger generation inside Ball Arena. His locker is adjacent to Hyland’s, the second-year backup point guard who’s playing ahead of Smith and could be in for a major leap in year two. Hyland poured in 16 points in 20 minutes while being defended by the Paul/Booker/Bridges trio. Smith is a big fan of Hyland and has been since playing against him last season.

“Bizzy is special. He really is. I love his game,” Smith said. “…He’s a special talent. He’s that type that can light you up in a quick second, put 20 on the board. He’s special. He’s special. He has the scoring ability. He can shoot the basketball, mid-range, he can finish at the rim. There are no weaknesses in his offensive game. For him, I knew he wasn’t going to back down.”

The two point guards are building a strong relationship off the floor. They’re constantly talking with one another and picking each other’s brains. Smith is enjoying learning how Hyland sees the game and discovering his mindset and mentality as a point guard.

“He’s got a bright, bright future,” Smith said of Hyland. “It’s crazy. He’s only (22) years old. When he was born I was already 13 years old.”

Maybe Smith can pass on some of his mid-range artistry to his young locker mate too. Smith detailed on Monday how he learned some of his mid-range tricks from none other than Paul, his opponent last night and fellow Wake Forrest Demon Deacon. Smith has studied how Paul walks his defender up the floor, keeps pressing forward, and is able to force his defender to keep retreating even after he reaches the 3-point line. Eventually, he always gets to his sweet spot.

“Chris is the king of the mid-range,” he said.

Smith was somewhat of a throw-in in the offseason trade with the Wizards that brought Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Denver, but he feels like a needed piece on this championship-seeking Nuggets team. He’s the classic veteran and key locker room figure who’s going to keep the mood light but is also willing to give it to guys straight. He’s a friend to everyone and radiates positive energy. He’s full of basketball wisdom and is willing to share his secrets.

He can still play too.

“He’s like the ultimate pro,” Braun said of Smith. “He shows up every day early and does his stuff. Like I said, he’s the ultimate pro and does everything right.”