Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has assigned center/forward Greg Smith back to Houston’s single-affiliation NBA D-League partner Rio Grande Valley. The assignment marks the 35th time an NBA player has been assigned to his NBA D-League affiliate during the 2011-12 season. It also marks the first official assignment of Smith’s career.
Smith (6-10, 250, Fresno State), who yesterday was selected as a 2012 NBA D-League All-Star, has averaged 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.28 blocks and 1.06 steals in 18 games (14 starts) with the Vipers in 2011-12. The current D-League leader in field goal percentage (.677, 130-192 FG), Smith also stands tied for third in the league in double-doubles (eight), eighth in rebounding average (8.3) and 10th in blocks per game (1.28).
In his first stint with the Rockets, Smith averaged 1.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in two preseason games with Houston before being waived on Dec. 22, 2011. In college, Smith averaged 11.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game as a sophomore last season at Fresno State. He was also the 2009-10 WAC Freshman of the Year, which was voted on by the WAC head coaches.