But the 6-9 Atlanta Hawks restricted free agent is:

* The league's No. 2 shot-blocker the last two seasons, each time finishing behind the Denver Nuggets' Marcus Camby.

* The first player to block at least 225 shots and hit at least 25 three-pointers in the same season; he has had at least 200 blocks and 25 triples in three straight seasons.

* The third player in history to average at least 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.8 blocks and 1.5 steals in a season. The others are Hall of Famers David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon.

Smith's remarkable fourth season included averages of 17.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.8 blocks and 1.5 steals. Coming out of Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va. in 2004, he originally committed to Indiana University before becoming the No. 17 pick in the 2004 draft.

And he won't turn 23 until December.

All that is why the 76ers, who have about $11.5 million in salary-cap space available, have invited Smith and his representatives to visit today. He and agents Brian Dyke and Wallace Prowther visited yesterday with the Hawks and newly minted general manager Rick Sund, who has said repeatedly that ownership plans to match any offers made to Smith and his restricted free-agent teammate, Josh Childress, the No. 6 overall pick in '04.

Childress, 25, a 6-8 forward who came off the bench in 76 games last season, is scheduled to meet with the Sixers later this week. Childress is being considered for the Sixers' need at small forward. His fourth season was the first in which he was used exclusively as a reserve.

If the Sixers were to use the entire $11.5 million toward a contract for Smith, using the maximum permissible annual raises of 8 percent from the base year, they could offer a 5-year deal worth $66.7 million. Smith turned down an in-season offer of an extension worth about $45 million, also for 5 years.

(An aside: A distant rumor yesterday suggested that the Sixers were trying to clear additional space to increase an offer to whoever the final target turns out to be.)

President/general manager Eddie Stefanski has said it probably would take all of the cap space to add an impact player, whether in free agency or in trade. He is expected to continue exploring the availability of forward Elton Brand, who opted out of his $16.44 million final season with the Los Angeles Clippers; indications have been that Brand prefers to remain with the Clippers, but is looking for a 6-year package worth more than $100 million.

Brand, 29, is coming off Achilles' tendon surgery and played in just the final eight games of last season.

David Falk, Brand's agent, did not respond to a telephone message from the Daily News.

"With Josh Smith, there wouldn't be one team as athletic, top to bottom," said an agent familiar with the Sixers, and not affiliated with Smith. "All they'd be lacking is a Kyle Korver-type shooter."

Ironically, the Sixers helped create some of their cap space with the December trade that sent Korver to the Utah Jazz for the expiring contract of Gordan Giricek and a future first-round draft choice.

But the prize in the Sixers' planning is Smith, if they are able to concoct an offer that might force the Hawks not to match. The Hawks hold a right of first refusal with both Smith and Childress.

The Sixers made their interest in Smith clear with a telephone call shortly after midnight yesterday, the first day of free agency. The Sixers, at that point, also contacted representatives for Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams, their own restricted free agents.

"I believe in the people there," said Merle Scott, one of Williams' representatives. "They told me that Lou has come this far and that they don't want to lose him."

Scott said he also received calls from "several" other teams about Williams, but that Williams prefers to remain with the Sixers.

Rob Pelinka, Iguodala's agent, did not return a call from the Daily News. Iguodala rejected an in-season offer of a 5-year extension worth a little more than $57 million.

Six shots