Cheeks impressed with rookie Smith's first game

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Maurice Cheeks said Jason Smith "was great" in Monday night's 101-92 preseason opening loss to the New York Knicks.

In this case, "great" meant seven points and seven rebounds in just under 21 minutes in Smith's first, albeit unofficial, game as a pro.

In truth, Smith's numbers weren't "great," but they were certainly encouraging. And it wasn't unusual for Cheeks, the Sixers coach, to notice his not-quite 7-foot first-round draft choice. Cheeks has been noticing the former Colorado State star since his predraft workout at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

That session, which also included Louisiana State's Glen "Big Baby" Davis, was enough to convince the Sixers to maneuver in the draft, essentially swapping spots with Miami to acquire Smith at No. 21.

So what did Cheeks see that day in mid-June?

"His hustle, on a couple occasions," Cheeks replied toward the end of training camp in Durham, N.C. "I remember him diving on the floor, hitting the floor many times. That's what he does, and that hasn't gone away. He didn't do that for the sake of trying to get chosen early. That's the way he plays."

(When a reporter compared Smith to former Sixers center Tim McCormick, a veteran team scout insisted Smith was much more athletic and skilled.)

"He's a big guy who can put the ball on the floor, who can shoot; he's getting better rebounding and he's a very knowledgeable kid," Cheeks said. "He picks up things very quickly. Players like to play with him because of the energy he brings. He very rarely tries to come out of drills, which is very rare for rookies."

After Monday night's game Smith said, "It feels pretty good," adding, "we're coming together as a team, and I think we'll continue to come together as the season goes on. For the most part, I was happy with my play."

Even though the Sixers fell behind the Knicks by as many as 18 points in the third quarter, there were some other encouraging signs: Willie Green, who started at shooting guard, showed some of the willingness to drive hard to the basket that was missing last season, his first after knee surgery; Lou Williams scored 16 points and showed no fear despite having, at best, cloudy vision in his left eye after an injury in Saturday night's camp scrimmage; and backup center Calvin Booth had seven points and seven rebounds in less than 15 minutes.

Cheeks said he will use tonight's open practice at the Wachovia Center and tomorrow's conventional session to work on conditioning, ballhandling, defense and various drills. They will host New Jersey on Friday night and Washington on Sunday at 6 p.m. in their next dress rehearsals.

"You can't simulate it in practice," Cheeks said. "There's nothing like a game situation, and the more games we play, the better condition we'll be in."