holfresh wrote:

Osiris wrote:

CashMoney wrote:Regardless of the personal feelings towards JR on this board the fact of the matter is that the Knicks need JR Smith. He went into a funk at the worst possible time but you can't ignore his contributions to the team this year. JR at $5 million a year is good value IMHO. Resign him and hope he takes a step forward and if not at least we have a trade chip if and when the time comes. Letting him walk and not being able to get anything close in return would be a huge mistake when he's only 1 of a few players on the team who can score.

I stand by what I say a team will not when any thing meaningful with "JR" type players. Especially when he is the second best player on the team. They will let you down at crucial moments in meaningful games. Is there any team that made the playoff whose second best player behaved in similar fashion as JR? You just won't be able to go all the way with players like him.What's the use in having great talent if its not applied to the fullest with one singular propose?

Outlandish statements..But please if you have a second, explain how JR "behaved"???

Well you have the Jason Terry incident. Which is self explanatory the Knicks ultimately prevailed but it breathed life into a demoralized opponent! His partying during playoffs is what I have a problem with. It was the major reason for his drop off as I can't seem to come up with any other reason. I would also say his willful obstinate taking jumpers when they were not falling and not driving to the hoop. That shows me he is gonna do what he wants and not what's good for the team. Also the Rihanna stuff was a distraction at the worst possible time! I don't think these are outlandish, just my reasons why I don't want to see him resigned. If I blamed the total failure of this team in playoffs on JR,that would be outlandish.

Osiris wrote:

holfresh wrote:

Osiris wrote:

CashMoney wrote:Regardless of the personal feelings towards JR on this board the fact of the matter is that the Knicks need JR Smith. He went into a funk at the worst possible time but you can't ignore his contributions to the team this year. JR at $5 million a year is good value IMHO. Resign him and hope he takes a step forward and if not at least we have a trade chip if and when the time comes. Letting him walk and not being able to get anything close in return would be a huge mistake when he's only 1 of a few players on the team who can score.

I stand by what I say a team will not when any thing meaningful with "JR" type players. Especially when he is the second best player on the team. They will let you down at crucial moments in meaningful games. Is there any team that made the playoff whose second best player behaved in similar fashion as JR? You just won't be able to go all the way with players like him.What's the use in having great talent if its not applied to the fullest with one singular propose?

Outlandish statements..But please if you have a second, explain how JR "behaved"???

Well you have the Jason Terry incident. Which is self explanatory the Knicks ultimately prevailed but it breathed life into a demoralized opponent! His partying during playoffs is what I have a problem with. It was the major reason for his drop off as I can't seem to come up with any other reason. I would also say his willful obstinate taking jumpers when they were not falling and not driving to the hoop. That shows me he is gonna do what he wants and not what's good for the team. Also the Rihanna stuff was a distraction at the worst possible time! I don't think these are outlandish, just my reasons why I don't want to see him resigned. If I blamed the total failure of this team in playoffs on JR,that would be outlandish.

holfresh wrote:

Osiris wrote:

holfresh wrote:

Osiris wrote:

CashMoney wrote:Regardless of the personal feelings towards JR on this board the fact of the matter is that the Knicks need JR Smith. He went into a funk at the worst possible time but you can't ignore his contributions to the team this year. JR at $5 million a year is good value IMHO. Resign him and hope he takes a step forward and if not at least we have a trade chip if and when the time comes. Letting him walk and not being able to get anything close in return would be a huge mistake when he's only 1 of a few players on the team who can score.

I stand by what I say a team will not when any thing meaningful with "JR" type players. Especially when he is the second best player on the team. They will let you down at crucial moments in meaningful games. Is there any team that made the playoff whose second best player behaved in similar fashion as JR? You just won't be able to go all the way with players like him.What's the use in having great talent if its not applied to the fullest with one singular propose?

Outlandish statements..But please if you have a second, explain how JR "behaved"???

Well you have the Jason Terry incident. Which is self explanatory the Knicks ultimately prevailed but it breathed life into a demoralized opponent! His partying during playoffs is what I have a problem with. It was the major reason for his drop off as I can't seem to come up with any other reason. I would also say his willful obstinate taking jumpers when they were not falling and not driving to the hoop. That shows me he is gonna do what he wants and not what's good for the team. Also the Rihanna stuff was a distraction at the worst possible time! I don't think these are outlandish, just my reasons why I don't want to see him resigned. If I blamed the total failure of this team in playoffs on JR,that would be outlandish.

Behavior makes it sound like he was doing something amoral...Sports fans have unrealistic expectations of athletes..If u think u can keep a 20 something year old indoors during the playoffs or any other time then you are unrealistic..JR went out on the 28th of April with his next game being on May 1st..3 days later...I used to see Jeter out all the time with a game the next day and never once the press had anything to say about it and nor should they...He now should have control of Rihanna and her tweets??? Unrealistic..He should stop banging a hot babe who is a global star because fans might not like it...Unreal...Dudes party the night before the Superbowl..At least JR had a few days between...Some baseball teams provide beer in their locker rooms...Real World..Is it ok then to stay home and get trashed???

Your right but Jeter would do it enroute to a HOF career. JR lapsed and in a world that results matter and blame is assigned then public display of partying will leave you accountable. No team is accountable to its fans are they?

If JR was not a bone head, he'd be locked up somewhere making allstar teams with a long term contract and not a knick. When the knicks say "unconservative ways outside the box" to add players it also means getting guys less perfect.

Osiris wrote:

Behavior makes it sound like he was doing something amoral...Sports fans have unrealistic expectations of athletes..If u think u can keep a 20 something year old indoors during the playoffs or any other time then you are unrealistic..JR went out on the 28th of April with his next game being on May 1st..3 days later...I used to see Jeter out all the time with a game the next day and never once the press had anything to say about it and nor should they...He now should have control of Rihanna and her tweets??? Unrealistic..He should stop banging a hot babe who is a global star because fans might not like it...Unreal...Dudes party the night before the Superbowl..At least JR had a few days between...Some baseball teams provide beer in their locker rooms...Real World..Is it ok then to stay home and get trashed???

No is was not my intention to cast JR in a bad light morally. Partying is fine but partying to the point it may have effected him on the job is a different thing. Also it negatively effected him during one of the most important periods in this teams recent history. The Knicks were contending for a title. But even if the partying never played a part in his poor on the job performance,why even give people like me the ammo? Are the Knicks to sign him long term in the hopes he wises up but past when his skill have diminished?

I think it's all a stretch to pin the playoff performance on his night out three days prior the actual game..Silly if u ask me..People use it as an excuse to cast him in a negative and Knicks will be silly as well to let that noise figure into their future plans...The Knicks need JR to do exactly what he did last season..Let the tabloids and his detractors worry about who needs to wise up...

Osiris wrote:

holfresh wrote:
I think it's all a stretch to pin the playoff performance on his night out three days prior the actual game..Silly if u ask me..People use it as an excuse to cast him in a negative and Knicks will be silly as well to let that noise figure into their future plans...The Knicks need JR to do exactly what he did last season..Let the tabloids and his detractors worry about who needs to wise up...

What would your theory be as to why he slumped in the playoffs? Why didn't he adjust his game to put the team in a better position to win? The Knicks need JR to do exactly what he did last season? OK the Knicks need JR to win 6th man then vanish in the playoffs? How is that a need for the Knicks?

Well I think when he got tossed for the elbow, it changed the series for him..I don't think he could handle the psychological pressure of how that incident ignited Boston and the media scrutiny that came with it...This is a whole new spotlight for him...He was now the number two behind Melo who holds his own under pressured lights of MSG...JR showed huge growth this year..Who is to say this incident doesn't make him into an even better, more controlled player??..

loweyecue wrote:OMG - I actually agree with Holfresh here...

I think the whole partying thing is being overblown and taken way out of context. There is no evidence that it was cause and effect and if you beleive that's what did it it still just a theory. I think JR doesn't have the mental toughness to deal with the pressure in the playoffs. Unlike Holfresh - I have no visions of him ever developing that toughness. You typically don't develop charcter at this age. Is it possible he will be more mature next year? I absolutely think so - but I don't think he will be able to handle the pressure when it counts. True grit cannot be acquired.

He isn't paid to handle that pressure..The only reason he is in that spotlight is because he stepped up when our two large non performing contract holders had been missing this entire season and maybe forever..Unfortuanately we don't have much options here..We have to role the dice with JR...One positive thing tho, he looked in the mirror and took the blame unlike Tyson Chandler, our leader...

loweyecue wrote:

holfresh wrote:

loweyecue wrote:OMG - I actually agree with Holfresh here...

I think the whole partying thing is being overblown and taken way out of context. There is no evidence that it was cause and effect and if you beleive that's what did it it still just a theory. I think JR doesn't have the mental toughness to deal with the pressure in the playoffs. Unlike Holfresh - I have no visions of him ever developing that toughness. You typically don't develop charcter at this age. Is it possible he will be more mature next year? I absolutely think so - but I don't think he will be able to handle the pressure when it counts. True grit cannot be acquired.

He isn't paid to handle that pressure..The only reason he is in that spotlight is because he stepped up when our two large non performing contract holders had been missing this entire season and maybe forever..Unfortuanately we don't have much options here..We have to role the dice with JR...One positive thing tho, he looked in the mirror and took the blame unlike Tyson Chandler, our leader...

In a league where almost everyone is overpaid, he is not paid to handle pressure by comparison to his peers. In the real world anyone who makes a couple million a year can't generally make that claim. Every player in the NBA should be able to handle the pressure for the money they make - stuff like that and giving 100% effort should be table stakes.

Well it's all relative..Novak is making close to 4 mil and wouldn't be asked to step on that stage..Sports money is different than the real world...But hey, If he showed he could have held his own in terms of pressure, he would have been rewarded handsomely at the end the year..

bernard wrote:My issue with JR is not him going out clubbing, if he did. Lots of guys party and still come to play. He just isn't competitive enough. The emblematic play for me was in game 3 (I think) where he had a defensive rebound if he just jogged to the ball, but he didn't even bother to do to that and gave up the rebound to George (I believe). He's clearly more talented than are other options, by a lot, but I'd rather build a team used to getting its shots elsewhere with more reliable, hungry players.

It seemed like once he validated himself with the 6th man award he just shut it down. All the effort he showed at the tail end of the season went out the door.JR is 1 of the biggest wastes of physical talent in the NBA. he could be a Top tier SG but he doesnt try to get better, he does the min he can. i thought he turned the corner finally at the end of the year but he didnt its the same guy and always will be