I used to be a big fan. His films haven't stood the test of time for me though. I get bored while watching them and don't bother finishing. I watched Clerks two years ago with an ex-girlfriend. Nowhere near as funny as I remembered it being when I was in college. I left the DVD at her place after we broke up and didn't think to get it back.
The best films grow with you and keep their charm. Smith's films are mostly immature bullshit.
Maybe he's sympathetic toward Lucas because, like Lucas, he's now getting trashed left and right for being a has-been. The best thing he's done recently is play the balding medical examiner in Daredevil.