After just two games (and very brief stints on the floor), it may be too early to write off the two guys fighting for the last spot on the bench (for the purpose of this post, I am going to assume Danny is going to give Joseph a longer look, because he drafted him...but that is by no means a given).
But, I must say, I have been very underwhelmed so far.
First, lets start with Smith. He looks overwhelmed with the stage, and his skills are not impressive. He looks like he has Eddie House's ball handling ability, without the outside shot, or anything else for that matter. I have seen nothing to set him apart from any other D-League player...in fact, I think he would be pretty far down the call-up list.
Now, Christmas is a little different. He has some intriguing skills. He has a tenacity that reminds me a bit of Moore. He is not afraid to take the big shot, and he really plays with a lot of energy. He also has a decent first step, and is an OK finisher.
But as I said in another thread, I think Scal had a good call on him. He is like Tony Allen offensively. He can do some things with the ball in his hands. He can drive a bit, and can finish at the hoop. The problem is, he is not good enough at those things for you to put the ball in his hands over any other players on this team. And, when he is playing off the ball, he looked completely lost. His spacing was terrible, he never looked ready to catch and shoot, and he just looked out of place.
That was exactly the same way Allen was, who was at his best offensively when he was playing on essentially a D-league team in Boston, and then he really made the leap, when he was completely cut out of the offense in Memphis, and basically only touched the ball on hustle plays and fast breaks...which worked, because he was such a dominant defender.
But Christmas does not seem to be anything more than an average defender (if even that). So, basically, he has no use on this team.
So, at this (admittedly premature) time, I am ready to cut ties on both of these guys, and see if there is someone else who might fill that spot better. Thoughts?