Pistons HC Cheeks calls out Smith, Smith takes 'real offense'

Following a 2-for-7 first half performance on Saturday night, Detroit Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks kept Josh Smith on the bench for the entirety of the second half.

Smith finished with just 18 minutes played, four points and four rebounds, with the team being outscored by 18 points while he was on the floor. It was another bad night in a season that has had many, with Smith averaging just 15.1 points on 40.5 percent shooting with 6.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists. 

That scoring average is his lowest since 2005-06, the shooting mark is the worst of his career and the rebound and assist averages his worst since at least 2005-06. It hasn't been a good start to what's expected to be a four-year tenure in Detroit (with Smith being handsomely paid $13.5 million each season).

And it's the salary, not the performance, that makes it curious that Cheeks sat Smith down on Saturday night. After the game, Smith indicated that Cheeks had called him out for now playing hard, to which Smith said he took "real offense" and claimed he was being made a scapegoat.

"Like I told y'all before when we had this conversation, when you hit adverse times, characters are gonna be tested. It's either that we're gonna come closer together and make it all one team, or are you gonna use a scapegoat to get away from what's really at hand?"

The Pistons are struggling right now, losing four of their last five and failing to make up ground in a suddenly wide-open Eastern Conference pack. The three seed is there for the taking, but the Pistons can't get things together at 14-18.

It's gotten such that Cheeks indicated he would have benched the entire starting lineup, "If I could have."

The Pistons play again on Monday against Washington, when they'll look to get back on the right track.