NFT: JR Smith wouldn't blame Knicks for trading him...

On the other hand, I respect the fact that he is honest about his situation last year and isn't making excuses. I think he can be a very valuable piece on a contending team with great leadership. He does stupid shit but doesn't seem like he is a bad teammate. I mean you can say he is a bad teammate by not doing what he is paid to do but I'm talking about his relationships with teammates. I do think he will be traded.

It is nice to have a grown up back in charge. Maybe all the players will be a little more accountable for themselves this season.

and honest in the past and said he's changed. This isn't the first time. What about a team like Indiana that just lost Stephenson?

has brainwashed another one. The Melo recruiting trip must've been part of it.

And that contract. I think he's here to the bitter end.

really isnt bad when you look around at some of the contracts in the NBA

just got 2 years 18 million dollars. Smith has 2 years 12 million left. I bet if they wanted right now they could trade him but wouldn't get anything back. I wouldn't trade him just to trade him.

Nick Young got 4 years 22 million.

over shadowed some 2nd half improvements. Pg and center was so horrible it was too much to overcome. I suspect jr and the rest to really take to the fluid movements of the triangle.

DYST Now @DYST_Now · Jul 15
Targets that Phil Jackson is going after from the Kings and Bucks for JR Smith are Jason Thompson, Carl Landry and Ersan Ilyasova.

In comment 11770038 Anakim said:

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DYST Now @DYST_Now · Jul 15 Targets that Phil Jackson is going after from the Kings and Bucks for JR Smith are Jason Thompson, Carl Landry and Ersan Ilyasova.

Would would anyone trade ilyasova for jr smith?

But I don't wanna dump him for nothing. If Phil keeps him fine, he can play and in a healthy atmosphere he will probably flourish-- at least for a little while. He's only got 2 years left. If they trade him for decent talent, that works for me too. Knicks have too many guards anyway.

puts out bullshit all the time, not reliable

$6 million for a guy that was 6th man of the year 2 years ago, and actually had a solid second half of the season. After the All-Star break he averaged 16.6pts, 4 reb, 3 assists on 44.8% shooting and 41.7% from 3. That's actually better efficiency than what he showed in the year that he won 6th man.

If he comes out and puts together a strong first 2 months of the season, he will be very easy to move.

In comment 11770097 MookGiants said:

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puts out bullshit all the time, not reliable

Bummer




Ed Davis has agreed upon a two-year, $2 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Davis has a player option for the 15-16 season.

Davis most recently played for the Memphis Grizzlies.


I guess Phil was more comfortable with Jason Smith

As for why someone would trade Ilyasova...it's been reported that the Bucks are shopping him heavily. He didn't have a good season last year.

the power of human psychology and communication approach is often overlooked in coaching / management for whatever reason.

My guess here is that JR and Phil had a long talk, he was forced to take a hard look in the mirror and was helped to understand how he hurt the team.

People underestimate how petty and emotionally underdeveloped people can be, especially athletes who are coddled by society from the age they show talent. I wouldn't be surprised if JR justified it to himself because the team was losing and was in some stupid pride fight with Woodson or Melo, hell maybe even Bargs got his goat. He thought by mailing it in he was somehow sticking it to them and not himself.

Bottom line this is great either way and has the zen masters footprints all over it. (Can you see positive press coming out like this with Dolan or Isiah Thomas leading the way? LOL) This makes him at least marginally more valuable in the market and/or sets him up to be refocused with a better attitude if he is granted the opportunity to stay. Admitting you have a basketball IQ problem is the first step to recovery.

provides a lot more context and insight into what we faced last year. Also, JR seemed thrilled to have Fish on the sidelines...
link - ( New Window )

Darren Wolfson        âœ” @DarrenWolfson

@NYGreenMachine I can't come up with any that make sense. Wolves like Hardaway Jr. Still hard to concoct a deal MN would do.

Darren Wolfson        âœ” @DarrenWolfson

@PristeamDetail Klay and Wiggins still not on the table. Knicks and Suns lurking. Just not sure either is an ideal match.

Minny also wants to dump Martin and no offer from another team has included Martin or the top players they asked for in Thompson, Wiggins.

that was a great interview with JR. Touched on lots of things. What stuck out the most was when he discussed how some guys just did whatever they wanted last year and their was mass confusion offensively and defensively.

I wouldn't really attribute this to Phil Jackson somehow mentoring him.

In 2012 he said he would be better, then as soon as he won 6th man, he went out to the clubs in the playoffs and sucked.

giving enough of a shit to change, or having the balls to do to make the right sacrifices is certainly another.

JR strikes me as the type of guy who does what the hell he wants no matter if he hurst others, and makes no attempt to hide it, or change for the good of others.

I believe the clinical term is sociopath.

im a bit of a JR supporter. He just has so much talent that if you can ever get the right coach or organization or whatever around him he could be one of the best 2 guards in the league. Id rather keep him this year and see what Phil and Fisher can do with him then dump him for nothing.

And his contract is not bad at all, If he was a FA right now i bet he gets close to the 2/12 or whatever he has left from us.

and self-centered. These guys have been pampered since they were little. They've been told that their sh*t don't stink since they proved that they were better than everyone else at bball. He's been the BMOC for his whole life and they think the world still revolves around them. Some guys mature and realize that this is a job, other guys don't.

Both extremely talented and both extemely immature. I'd rather have Stephenson for his physical tools, but they are similar. There was not much of a market for Stephenson at all and his contract wasn't that bad either. It makes me think that we'd have a harder time unloaded JR than some people think. I do think we can unload him, but we wouldn't get much value at all in return. I don't want to do that because we would be trading him while his value is lowest. So while we have too many 2's, unfortunately two of them would be selling low so it's a tough spot.

In comment 11770285 Italianju said:

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im a bit of a JR supporter. He just has so much talent that if you can ever get the right coach or organization or whatever around him he could be one of the best 2 guards in the league. Id rather keep him this year and see what Phil and Fisher can do with him then dump him for nothing. And his contract is not bad at all, If he was a FA right now i bet he gets close to the 2/12 or whatever he has left from us.

I find myself rooting for him too, despite so much nonsense. When he found his game in the second half of 2013, he was a big part of our 54 win season.

Of course, then he went mental in the playoffs, which combined with Chandler being banged up and our old guys being worn out cost us our shot at beating Indy

But maybe, with the right mentor in Phil and the right vibe on the team, he can flourish

And yes, that's a tune we've all heard before, of course...so I wouldn't cry if we traded him (I'd be shocked if we got anything of value for him)

head cases, so maybe he can screw JR's head on straight.

and hope he plays well this year and makes it so that we are either having a good year or he has increased his trade value. At worst he has another season like last year (really wasnt that horrible by the end) and if we decide we need the capspace then we suck it up and trade him for nothing.

even during his 6th man of the year season...he gets into over dribbling and iso way to much when he was on the court without Carmelo...

Hopefully with this system and no more Iso he will be able to just catch and shoot and move the ball rather than over dribbling...

hopefully..

He has a reasonable contract, and right now offers little in the trade market. So I guess he will be back, so why not cheer for him? Jackson being here will make all the difference in the world, and people are going to find that out quickly. Watch what happens if players do not play up to what is expected. I believe in Phil completely, I don't know how long he will take to build a winner here, and I don't know if Carmelo will be part of a winner here, it may take longer then that. But I do believe Phil will do it. If he is given full control, which he will be or he will leave, then he will accomplish what we all hope, he will bring back excitement to the garden, just like Riley did.

a bit. He's not a jedi, and he's not going to take junk and alchemize it into gold. He can't just whisper a few wise words and change a player's mindset because he's Phil Jackson.

In comment 11771207 AnotherGiantsFan said:

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Quote: The future of one of the most talented free agents left on the market remains cloudy, as Eric Bledsoe and the Phoenix Suns remain far apart in contract talks, according to sources close to the situation.

BUT WHY?!?!?! THE POINT GUARD POSITION ISN'T IMPORTANT I THE TRIANGLE!!! ;-)

Which Bledsoe surely is not. He's just a pit bull in a basketball players body.

In comment 11771404 AnotherGiantsFan said:

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Which Bledsoe surely is not. He's just a pit bull in a basketball players body.

It's a ridiculous statement regardless. A good PG of any kind can play in the Triangle. If Phil inherited a team with Rondo do you think he'd move him because he doesn't fit the Triangle? You make it work with your best players.

but I think the point is...you don't need a top notch PG in the triangle to have success, but it doesn't mean you don't want one, you want as many good players that fit the system as possible.

But it's just not necessary. You simply just do not need a guy who runs the show and creates for everyone. The triangle falls under that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" category. Everyone needs to be unselfish and be able to pass, it doesn't have to be that one show running facilitator.

On the other hand, Phil Jackson did just acquire Jose Calderon, who is certainly a facilitator.

I never said it was useless. I just don't think it's nearly as important to this system as it is to others.

averaged, in the last 11 games, 21.6 points 4.5 rebounds 2.7 assists efg+55%. He also shot 45% from three point range during this time.

there have been plenty of short stretches when JR posts stats like that. The issue is that he'll follow that with a 15 game stretch where he looks like he doesn't belong on the court

He could be so freaking good if he just wasn't a blazing moron(in more ways than 1).

He is so good at driving and finishing or getting to the line, but then he will just settle for 45 foot jumpers. Guys like him drive me nuts because he has all the talent in the world and no desire to reach his potential.

about the fact JR's contract has an opt out after next season. Something tells me any fear of his contract being a deterrent to a max next year for a free agent is unwarranted. If JR has a good season, he will opt out. Why play on a 1 year deal with a team whose best two young players play the same position as you when you can get more guaranteed money? If he doesn't play well, he faces the Knick's trading him to any team they please to make cap space and JR would have to deal with it. Why deal with being sent where the Knick's want to send him when he could chose his own situation by opting out and taking probably a mil or so less (6 mil really isn't much for a guy who does have talent, albeit is a nut). Some cap strapped contender would give him their mid level exception, which next year will be about 5.7 mil. JR doesn't strike me as a guy who would stick around an extra year and be miserable to collect a couple hundred thousand dollars more.

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Bledsoe is seeking a 5-year $80 million max deal from the Suns, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN. Broussard also reports that the Suns offered Bledsoe a 4-year, $48 million deal. The two sides are very far apart in negotiations and it appears a strong offer sheet for the restricted free agent may be enough to steal him away from Phoenix. The team recently signed Isaiah Thomas to a long-term deal, so a Bledsoe departure would not come as a shock.

Really upsetting that we are in no position to get him. Why couldn't this have waited until we have titload of money? It's probably not ideal to pair Melo up with another guy that loves having the ball in his hands, but I give zero fucks. He gets to the rim at will, monster man vs man defender, and has improved his shooting every season. If he doesn't get injured he will only improve.

On the other side of the coin, I have no idea if it's the Suns medical staff telling them to not give him this kind of contract. And nobody wants to fuck with the Suns medical staff.

In comment 11771583 Steve in Greenwich said:

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about the fact JR's contract has an opt out after next season. Something tells me any fear of his contract being a deterrent to a max next year for a free agent is unwarranted. If JR has a good season, he will opt out. Why play on a 1 year deal with a team whose best two young players play the same position as you when you can get more guaranteed money? If he doesn't play well, he faces the Knick's trading him to any team they please to make cap space and JR would have to deal with it. Why deal with being sent where the Knick's want to send him when he could chose his own situation by opting out and taking probably a mil or so less (6 mil really isn't much for a guy who does have talent, albeit is a nut). Some cap strapped contender would give him their mid level exception, which next year will be about 5.7 mil. JR doesn't strike me as a guy who would stick around an extra year and be miserable to collect a couple hundred thousand dollars more.

If all of the reports are true and the cap will jump dramatically in 2 years, wouldn't that be more incentive for JR to opt in and become a FA when the cap jumps?

Look at the contracts being handed out this offseason compared to the one he has.

what the unpredictiple will do. JR goes to the beat of his own drum.

Working to clear the logjam in the backcourt, the Knicks are discussing their potential trade options with guards J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Shane Larkin, a league source said Sunday. “They’re working on trying to make a move in the backcourt,” the NBA source familiar with the Knicks’ thinking said. ESPN.com
Rumors tagsNew York Knicks, Trade, JR Smith, Iman Shumpert, Shane Larkin Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubscribe to HoopsHype rumors
Tim Hardaway Jr. has been deemed virtually untouchable, per a source. ESPN.com

First, JR is such a wacko that it is easy to ignore the fact that he played the 2012 playoffs needing two pretty major surgeries. The wacko part, however, is why he couldn't rehab like an adult last year.

Second, I wouldn't trade him until seeing how he responds to real coaching and leadership. Plus, his opt-out contract could be a great thing. If he has a good year, he could opt out, the Knicks could sign two FA, and then re-sign him.

On a separate topic, how do they trade Shane Larkin? Who would be Calderon's backup, how would they handle an injury to Calderon or Prigs, and what pg left on the team could guard quick pg's around the league?

In comment 11773698 manh george said:

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Plus, his opt-out contract could be a great thing. If he has a good year, he could opt out, the Knicks could sign two FA, and then re-sign him.

I'm pretty sure this can't happen, you have to relinquish his bird rights to fit everyone under the cap. Unless they could sign two players and still be under by 8 mil or so, then they could re-sign him. That's why Wade, Bosh and Lebron had to fit under the cap that first year in Miami rather than let Lebron and Bosh take up the full cap, then Wade resign after his opt out. I do agree, I'd like to see what JR could do in this situation, but most importantly I want the guys with a future on the team to get their minutes. Even if we aren't getting the maximum trade value on Smith, by dealing him this minute that frees up more minutes for Hardaway right away.

In one of the Summer League interviews, IMO.

I still don't like the idea though.

JR Smith can easily work up his value to where he could become a legitimate asset that nets us a nice fish as opposed to now where we get someone else with problems, a la Isylanova.

Shane Larkin has no real value right now, and rightfully so. If we could get actual value out of him that'd be nice, but we won't. So might as well keep him.

Iman Shumpert is probably our best bet to trade to a contender. Wing defenders are a must in this league, and I get the impression that the league still believes he defends at an extremely high level and was just a product of the mess last season. I still think he could be a great defender, but if we could somehow sell high on him to a team that thinks they aren't far away, then so be it.

who is a guard..

knows that and isn't just going to move them for the sake of moving them. Maybe JR, just because of the cap space and locker room issues, but I doubt even him. I think if we see a trade it's going to be for value.

JR Smith for Ersan Ilyasova, and I really hope I'm wrong.

I have no idea why Ilyasova was so bad last year, but I really don't care. I partially know why JR Smith was bad last year and know definitely he can improve his stock. I don't know that with Ilyasova.

Ilyasova had a .409 FG% as a big man. That is disgusting for a C/PF. JR Smith is a chuck SG and he had a higher FG% than him, just to put into perspective.

think the Knicks can trade Larkin or Ellington right now, so those two are off the table (you can't trade someone who'm you traded for until two months following that trade). Listening to both Phil and Steve Mills in the summer league, plus Alan Hahn all mentioning how they need to even out the roster, that they are too guard heavy, I am pretty sure they all know a trade is coming in some sort. I actually don't think its for a big man, I think its for a true SF. They want a backup for Melo who isn't a rookie 2nd round pick (despite everyone else wanting to see him get playing time). They don't want to play Shump or JR out of position at the 3. I don't know who the target is, but think that's the way they would be looking.

In comment 11773830 AnotherGiantsFan said:

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JR Smith for Ersan Ilyasova, and I really hope I'm wrong. I have no idea why Ilyasova was so bad last year, but I really don't care. I partially know why JR Smith was bad last year and know definitely he can improve his stock. I don't know that with Ilyasova. Ilyasova had a .409 FG% as a big man. That is disgusting for a C/PF. JR Smith is a chuck SG and he had a higher FG% than him, just to put into perspective.

Ilyasova is more SF than C. Last year was terrible for him, but he was a useful player the two seasons before that. I'm not sure JR is a great fit for the Bucks, but we could probably do worse. Especially if they threw in someone like Wolters. Is there a source for that or are you just guessing?

I think I'd prefer keeping JR for now. He 100% has a place in the triangle. If we're going to move someone, it should be Shump. I'm fully behind the idea of trading Shump and Bargs for something.

Which is why I'm labeling it a gut call. But I didn't pull the name Ilyasova out of thin air just 'cause. It's the worst kept secret in the NBA that the Bucks are trying to get rid of him.

Quote:

Gery Woelfel @GeryWoelfel Follow Bucks are still shopping Ilyasova and, as an NBA official added "shopping him hard."

But as for JR for Ilyasova? That's just the ol' AGF lock prediction of FA.

Also, you're absolutely right on him being more of a combo Forward than a combo big man. My mistake. I also think that's why we go for Ilyasova. We could use a SF.

think its Ilyasova personally. Phil has been totally transparent since he got here and he keeps saying his mission is to be fiscally responsible. I dont see him taking on more 2015 salary in a deal. How do you explain to Melo that his pay-cut netted the awesome upgrade of JR to Ersan in cap space difference for next year?

In comment 11773859 Steve in Greenwich said:

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think its Ilyasova personally. Phil has been totally transparent since he got here and he keeps saying his mission is to be fiscally responsible. I dont see him taking on more 2015 salary in a deal. How do you explain to Melo that his pay-cut netted the awesome upgrade of JR to Ersan in cap space difference for next year?

We traded an expiring Tyson Chandler for a 33 PG that will be making 22 million over the next 3 years. If fiscal responsibility was the end all be all we would have bit the bullet with Tyson Chandler so we have balls to the walls cap space next offseason.

I do agree with you somewhat though, which is why I don't want the trade to happen at all. It's just a gut feeling that I hope I'm wrong about. I love JR Smith and hope he stays.

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In comment 11773878 AnotherGiantsFan said: We traded an expiring Tyson Chandler for a 33 PG that will be making 22 million over the next 3 years. If fiscal responsibility was the end all be all we would have bit the bullet with Tyson Chandler so we have balls to the walls cap space next offseason. I do agree with you somewhat though, which is why I don't want the trade to happen at all. It's just a gut feeling that I hope I'm wrong about. I love JR Smith and hope he stays.

It might have not looked fiscally responsible by taking on the extra years, but on the books that trade saved the Knicks close to 20 million dollars. The 4 million in cap savings it netted them from this year dropped them below 10 million over the luxury tax; and as repeat offenders that was a big distinction. They're currently 7.4 mil over the tax being taxed at a $2.75 to $1 over rate, they would have been 11.3 mil over being taxed at a $3.50 to $1 rate if they had not made that trade. The net savings was close to 20 mil.

Over analysis, yes. But it was a fiscally responsible trade.

I could not care less about fiscal responsibility when it has nothing to do with creating cap room and just about saving money in their pockets. I'm pretty sure and hope that they don't care all that much about luxury tax. If anything I think they cared more about getting rid of Raymond Felton than anything else.

That sort of fiscal responsibility you are talking about is what kept teams like OKC from getting better and being NBA champions.

the cap savings, the trade exception, calderon, larkin, early, and getting rid of two malcontents, that trade was fookin sweet.

I just didn't think that trade was for fiscal responsibility as much as it was for getting rid of guys we didn't want for guys/picks we did want.

As a fan, I just look at fiscal responsibility as trying to build cap space. I don't look at it in the view of saving luxury tax money. Maybe that's just because I'm so used to this franchise never caring about that.

But it doesn't do you any good if top talent doesn't want to play for you. The last time the Knicks had space, all it got them was Amare and his bad knees.

You have to build a team that players want to play for. Nobody wants to play for a team led by Raymond Felton.

Jackson et al have been able to significantly improve prospects for this year without damaging cap space. Fitting Jason Smith into a 1-year cap slot could be an enormous help if he is decently healthy, which he seems to be.

I know they are worried about going into the season without another sf, but that could be worse. Using JR and Shump as backup 3's along with Early might work out OK if those two have better seasons, which I think they both will. The big problem with that is when they want to use Melo at the 4, they need to balance that with a more physical three than they currently have on their roster--like Meta?

But as I understand it, with the new CBA, if you're over the cap apron, it restricts even minor moves you can make. This wasn't the case before when they had no problem paying 80m in tax.

pointless, IMO. I'd rid ourselves of JR 'a contract if possible, but if not, I'd trade shump if we could get an asset. One of then needs to go, preferably JR, IMO.

He's the worst offensive player of all the guarsd, and probably still has some value around the league for his potential.

I hope putting him at the 3 is not in the plans at all.

If we are keeping the best players, JR Smith is clearly staying over Shumpert. We can talk about Shump's potential all we want, but he will never be as good as JR Smith.

A reason why I like to watch some of the Summer League is to see if any of our guys stick out like a sore thumb over a weak group of guys or if they look like everyone else out there.

THJr. looked like a man amongst boys throughout this Summer League. Every single game he was the best player on the floor and it really wasn't all that close. Shump never gave that impression in the Summer League last year. He looked like everyone else out there. That's because he has nothing to offer on the offensive side. His handles are piss poor, can't drive to the basket, and has an inconsistent jump shot.

Shump came into the summer league last year injured, and only played at all because Dolan is a moron. I'm not saying don't trade him, but he nursed injuries for a good chunk of the season.

My preference, unless there is a trade out there that just has to be made, is to let thinks sort themselves out in training camp. Shump's trade value could get better.

Btw, this stuff about trading Larkin still confuses me. They want to sign a 3, but giving up a pg to do it makes no sense unless they do a 2-for-2 trade and land another backup pg as well. Writers keep talking about "too many guards." Surely they have too many guards, but all of the excess is 2's.

methinks.

but Hardaway appears to have offensive skills that you can't teach and Shumpert will not come close to. Shumpert is a natural defender..but you can replace that.

Hardaway and JR have more valuable skillsets than Shumpert. I just can't envision a future where Shumpert comes close to either of their offensive games.

Maybe bad coaching got in Shumpert's way, but he's so bad offensively. Even Landry Fields was good at backdoor cutting and getting easy buckets. Shumpert can't even do that.

But I can't agree with the people who believe Shumpert has more to offer this team than JR Smith.

That being said, I'm not sure if Phil Jackson has any idea who he'll trade. I 100% believe that he intentionally leaked this so it can spread like wildfire and now he'll take the best bang for his buck. Not necessarily what nets him the most, because obviously that would end up being JR...but what nets him the best value for what he's giving up.

Methinks that you'll need a strong SG defensive presence like Shumpert, which is why I think Smith (and Ellington) should go out of JR, Shumpert and Larkin.

that JR has skills that shump will never reach. That being said, shump's the only guard that can defend on this roster. I'm not sure either is going to net enough though.

who on this roster can defend a guard? Calderon is a terrible defensive player. THJR isn't defending the oppositions best guard. JR Smith is ok, but he's certainly not someone I have confidence to step up on a daily basis defensively. Our bigs are mostly atrocious defensively. Shump is the only guy that can do it and I'd bet he's motivated to prove his doubters wrong after last year.

Jackson said all along that he was a trade filler. As a trade filler making $2.5 mm, who would take him?

no, he would not be ideal as a backup 3. IF he were to play back to the 2012-3 season as a shooter, while holding the improvement he made as a rebounder last year, he could be a reasonable backstop, especially given his defensive capabilities. Not ideal, but not as terrible as some here suggest, IF he can hit the corner 3 at over .400 as he did a year earlier. Maybe his other skills improve this year as well. That is what camp would tell us. As noted above, he has plenty to prove.

from his biggest and arguably only asset...his defense. Obviously if he's shooting .400 from 3, he's adding value, but the whole point of using Shump to the best of his abilities, is him guarding the oppositions best guard. If he's not going to do that, he's kind of pointless.

His value has got to be close to as low as it could be. He was a complete knucklehead with his antics last year, and his overall numbers were below his typical standards. I think the best way to approach it is to let him stay for the first few months of the season, and increase his value.

After the All Star break last year Smith averaged 16.6 pts, 4 rebs, 3 ast on 44.8% shooting from the floor and 41.7% from 3. That is close to the level of production that he had in his 6th man of the year season. If Smith can come out and play like that for the first 3 months of the year, I don't see any reason that Phil can't get good value for him.

I'll agree that ideally you'd like Smith(or Shump for that matter) to have the chance to raise their value because both guys are at a low right now, but there isn't enough minutes or space for all 3 guys. Neither Smith nor Shump are ideal at the 3, so they there isn't enough minutes to go around. Also, let's not pretend like Smith had so many suitors when he was available as a FA. There weren't many teams interested in him as I think most realize that he's a knucklehead that will never play to the level that he should play to.

I have no doubt that JR would find a good deal somewhere if Nick Young can get 4/21.5 from the Lakers. I feel like JR Smith is better at his job than Nick Young.

In comment 11774249 kmed said:

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I'll agree that ideally you'd like Smith(or Shump for that matter) to have the chance to raise their value because both guys are at a low right now, but there isn't enough minutes or space for all 3 guys. Neither Smith nor Shump are ideal at the 3, so they there isn't enough minutes to go around. Also, let's not pretend like Smith had so many suitors when he was available as a FA. There weren't many teams interested in him as I think most realize that he's a knucklehead that will never play to the level that he should play to.

I agree there isn't room for all 3. I have no problem with moving Iman. I just don't think he's very good. As far as suitors for Smith, the landscape has changed. Look at some of the contracts that were handed out this year. Lance Stephenson is a bigger clown than Smith and was able to get a 3 year commitment out of Charlotte. It shouldn't be hard to find someone to take a flier on Smith with a shorter contract and half the money owed compared to what Lance got.

the physical tools as JR.

2 years with a team option.

In comment 11774253 Ten Ton Hammer said:

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I have no doubt that JR would find a good deal somewhere if Nick Young can get 4/21.5 from the Lakers. I feel like JR Smith is better at his job than Nick Young.

Rihanna vs. Iggy Azalea

In comment 11774448 kmed said:

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the physical tools as JR.

I don't agree with that at all. Smith was a lottery pick out of high school for a reason. His talent has never been the issue. He has always been considered an extremely gifted player. He has the ability to be one of the best SG in the league, he's just a clown, and a dumbass. Smith just has a much longer track record of being a clown than Stephenson does which is why he hasn't been able to cash in as Lance has.

stephenson is a bit bigger, but athletically JR can probably go toe to toe with him. JR is an insane athlete which is probably the only reason he is still hanging around the league.

more crazy than JR.

Smith is insanely athletic. His frustration is that he doesn't put it to use on the court. He's content to be a jump shooter when he could probably take anyone off the dribble.

As opposed to JR Smith who just likes weed, women, and alcohol.


...and untying shoe laces.

In comment 11774637 AnotherGiantsFan said:

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As opposed to JR Smith who just likes weed, women, and alcohol. ...and untying shoe laces.

The last part cracked me up.

In comment 11774456 DanMetroMan said:

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In comment 11774253 Ten Ton Hammer said: Quote: I have no doubt that JR would find a good deal somewhere if Nick Young can get 4/21.5 from the Lakers. I feel like JR Smith is better at his job than Nick Young. Rihanna vs. Iggy Azalea

Come on. J.R. is better than Nick Young. J.R. at least attempts to play defense and does it well from time to time. Nick Young is allergic to it and breaks out in hives when he DOES play it.

but I def have a hatred of JR Smith and it shines through often. I think Stephenson is a much better player mainly because he is ascending and is much younger than JR who has peaked and has already proven that he's a loser.

Smith is better than Nick Young. Not by a wide margin but he is better. Stephenson is easily better than both.

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didn't he get in trouble for gang affiliations or something?

but it was a joke infused with a comparison that I didn't agree with.

In comment 11774831 kmed said:

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didn't he get in trouble for gang affiliations or something?

J.R. is not a kid anymore either. Dude is almost 30.

another reason I'll take Stephenson over JR any day of the week. JR has peaked and has proven that he will always be a loser. Stephenson can still turn it around and seems to be a kid on the rise.

being a prick/scumbag is part of comparing on-court ability now? Further, while I do NOT believe Stephenson will be one of these guys, there have been true morons who eventually matured (ZBO comes to mind). Far less track record but Cousins was roundly praised for his maturity level this year.

I just made the clear distinction between JR Smith and Lance Stephenson as people. JR Smith is immature and likes to have fun off the court, Lance Stephenson is a piece of shit on and off the court.

It's unfortunate the Pacers were so patient with Lance and gave him time to develop. If he was drafted by any other team, he would be out of the league by now.

but wasn't JR Smith known to have gang affiliations or was that blown out of proportion?

and wouldn't want to rely on him on my team, but his ceiling, IMO, is much much higher than JR's and they both have off Court problems. That being said, JR is now 30 and still has the same problems so its a good bet that he's not going to change. Stephenson is still young and getting better as a player, but is also a moron.

Typos and misspellings happen on Twitter. It's quick and everyone's trying to get what they have to say out as fast as possible to the world. J.R. Smith had everyone confused with his use of the letter K instead of the letter C in every tweet he made. It caused an uprising in the community of Denver and on Twitter. People felt like J.R. was substitute the letters to represent an association with the Bloods. Smith quickly deleted his twitter account after the heavy criticism he took because of this.

Since J.R. Smith entered the NBA in 2004, he has been one of the most exciting players in the NBA. According to the Denver Post, Smith repeatedly replaced C’s with K’s while Tweeting. When he was confronted by the media about this letter choice, he responded by shutting down his Twitter account. While playing for the Nuggets, Smith was also known for throwing up gang sign during games.

In comment 11774865 kmed said:

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but wasn't JR Smith known to have gang affiliations or was that blown out of proportion?

No actual proof. Replaces C's with K's on twitter, throws up gang signs in pictures and during games. Shit people do all the time when they aren't in gangs.

Melo was somewhat into that around the time of the "Stop Snitching" video, and he cleaned up his image as well.

are pictures of Derrick Rose throwing up gang signs too. Some of these guys just like "being cool" and aren't actually affiliated beyond "I grew up with gang members so I can pretend I'm with them".

In comment 11774875 DanMetroMan said:

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And..that's not a gang sign any more than Rasheed Wallace doing the "3 to the head" sign after making a 3. THe whole team did that in 2012.

must be tough coming up in the burbs of freehold, NJ.

Because they all throw up the suwoop and all that other shit that comes with it. It's really common for people who aren't in gangs to do that shit nowadays.

Pretty sure JR Smith was born and raised in a fairly stable household and never was seriously involved in gang activity.

pretty sure JR Smith is/was what you call a poser and not an actual gang member. Stephen Jackson is/was a legit blood though.

are bad people. I'm sure we've all been put in a situation in which we needed to throw a b*tch down the stairs, no?

not defending Stephenson at all but in fairness the case was dismissed so who knows exactly what happened?

In comment 11774892 kmed said:

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are bad people. I'm sure we've all been put in a situation in which we needed to throw a b*tch down the stairs, no?

lol

In comment 11774896 DanMetroMan said:

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not defending Stephenson at all but in fairness the case was dismissed so who knows exactly what happened?

There's other documented evidence of him being a piece of shit. But I'm also not a court of law, so I have no problem passing judgement and 100% believe he threw a pregnant woman down the stairs. I've heard enough stories about him through word of mouth to believe that.

no doubt he's a scumbag. I just meant that given the fact it was dismissed we will never know if he actually committed this specific crime.