Zhaire Smith is Getting Called up to the 76ers with Josh Richardson Out

The Philadelphia 76ers will lose one shooting guard, but gain another for the next few weeks. Although Josh Richardson and Zhaire Smith don't exactly match up in terms of the value they bring, the team can at least look at the positives of this unique situation they are entering.

On Wednesday night, Sixers' starting shooting guard Josh Richardson felt discomfort in his left hamstring early on in the game against Toronto. After leaving for the locker room to get everything checked out, Richardson would be ruled out for the rest of the matchup.

As it turns out, the veteran guard is dealing with a left hamstring strain. Now, Richardson is forced to miss the next two weeks, and potentially more. This isn't the first time Richardson has dealt with a soft-tissue setback.

Two months ago, the 26-year-old guard dealt with a similar injury to his right hamstring, which forced him to miss six games. Considering the Sixers were especially cautious with Richardson's soft-tissue injury then, it shouldn't come as a surprise if he misses even more games this time around.

The 76ers have a tough stretch coming up, and they have yet to acquire any of their desired trade targets with a deal. Therefore, they have to work with what they've got. They already had Shake Milton and Matisse Thybulle available on the active roster, but now is the time for the Sixers to call up their former first-round pick, Zhaire Smith.

While Richardson's injury is extremely unfortunate, the timing really benefits Smith. Just this week, we covered the progress that the 20-year-old wing was making down in the G-League with the Delaware Blue Coats. While he had a shaky start to the year, Smith got comfortable and started to gain some traction.

Now, it's time to see if his progress in Delaware can translate to Philly. This upcoming stretch won't be Smith's first go-round with the Sixers. Last season, Smith debuted as a rookie late in the year and picked up playing time in six games. He averaged 18 minutes-per-game and accounted for 6.7 PPG while shooting 37-percent from deep.

Down in the G-League this season, Smith has been working on his three-point shot as he recognizes the Sixers' need for reliable three-point shooters. His progress from deep since earlier last month until now has been impressive. Lately, Smith has drained 41.5-percent of his shots from downtown.

Granted, it's going against G-League competition -- but at least the progress and the confidence from the second-year guard is there. Sixers' head coach Brett Brown won't reveal what Smith's role is moving forward.

But Brown has mentioned that the rookie, Matisse Thybulle, will see his minutes get extended. Shake Milton will also remain a factor too. Knowing what we know, it seems unlikely that Zhaire Smith picks up any notable playing time right off the bat.

As time goes on, though, that could change. Considering that Milton has been inconsistent when playing this year, the Sixers may look for something fresh in Zhaire Smith. Soon, they will see if he can take advantage of the opportunity.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_