Former Cardinal Russ Smith sent to D-League
Former Louisville guard Russ Smith was assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League on Friday, the New Orleans Pelicans announced.
Smith, the 47th overall pick of last June's NBA draft, appeared in three games for New Orleans this season. He played a total of 11 minutes and did not score a point. He did average five points per game during the preseason.
Last week, Smith's father, Russ Sr., said the transition to the NBA has been a big adjustment.
"Almost all his life, since he was a kid, he's playing almost the whole game, and then you get in the NBA and you're not," Russ Sr. said. "It's kind of like the same thing he was going through when he was a freshman at Louisville. But he's working hard. About 1,000 guys would like to be in his shoes, whether he's playing or not."
Last season, former Louisville guard Peyton Siva had a stint with the Mad Ants. Siva now plays for the Erie Bayhawks, an affiliate of the Orlando Magic.
Fort Wayne's next game is at Canton on Saturday night.