The Odd Couple
"He's so locked in and focused this year. He's a different player. He's really matured and he's really buying in to what coach is preaching, and it's been a big help."
- Tyson Chandler
The Knicks are the best in the NBA at taking care of the ball. Smith only turns the ball over once per game.
Based on John Hollinger's Player Efficiency Rating - a metric used to measure a player's per-minute performance -- Smith has been the second-best player on the Knicks. Through four games, Smith is posting a 20.5 PER, second to Anthony's 24.3. Last year, Smith recorded a PER of 15.27.
"... my biggest thing coming this season: Be more focused, be more consistent. It feels good that my teammates are recognizing it. At the same time, I've just got to keep it up and keep making them proud."
The talent has always been evident. The focus has not. “More than anything I have to make plays, not just score. Get rebounds, long rebounds and trying to get Novak (one of his best friends) going."
What a difference a demanding coach (who understands trust) makes.
Statistical JR might be the best player on the team.
Almost every category has gone up from ppg, to % to assists....and his defense has been solid too.
I was thinking we should lock this guy up now...He will get some coin tossed his way at the end of the year...Fields got 6 mil...
holfresh wrote:I was thinking we should lock this guy up now...He will get some coin tossed his way at the end of the year...Fields got 6 mil...
He's on a two year deal, he has to opt out first.
knickscity wrote:holfresh wrote:I was thinking we should lock this guy up now...He will get some coin tossed his way at the end of the year...Fields got 6 mil...
He's on a two year deal, he has to opt out first.
He will definitely opt out this year...
holfresh wrote:knickscity wrote:holfresh wrote:I was thinking we should lock this guy up now...He will get some coin tossed his way at the end of the year...Fields got 6 mil...
He's on a two year deal, he has to opt out first.
He will definitely opt out this year...
Definitely, and we have his bird rights too now.
40
“Last year we were a team that if you get the lead in the third quarter a team would pretty much put us away. We’re just trying to go out there and play with as much enthusiasm as we can in the second half.”
No team has scored more than 40 points against the Knicks after halftime.
“That’s one of the things we’ve emphasized, coming out in that third quarter, getting a good stretch, getting loose and making sure we come out in attack mode"
Who is the most athletic NYK player, 6'6 JR or (pre-injury) 6'5 Shump?
misterearl wrote:40“Last year we were a team that if you get the lead in the third quarter a team would pretty much put us away. We’re just trying to go out there and play with as much enthusiasm as we can in the second half.”
No team has scored more than 40 points against the Knicks after halftime.
“That’s one of the things we’ve emphasized, coming out in that third quarter, getting a good stretch, getting loose and making sure we come out in attack mode"
Who is the most athletic NYK player, 6'6 JR or (pre-injury) 6'5 Shump?
It's JR and its not even close.
JR is turning an opportunity into a career pivot.
He is made for New York
misterearl wrote:No team has scored more than 40 points against the Knicks after halftime.
Now THAT is impressive. Strong 4th quarter defensive kept that streak alive!
Defense
MaTT4281 wrote:Now THAT is impressive. Strong 4th quarter defensive kept that streak alive!
The only thing missing is five guys in defensive stances, slapping the floor simultaneously.
Yes, we are good.
I really am surprised by his wait for it....consistency!
Aside from the stepbacks that make you want to gouge your eyes out, he really is playing solid on both sides of the ball.
It's like Woody has this telepathic Vulcan mindmeld with him and is reeling in bad JR this season.
ChuckBuck wrote:I really am surprised by his wait for it....consistency!Aside from the stepbacks that make you want to gouge your eyes out, he really is playing solid on both sides of the ball.
It's like Woody has this telepathic Vulcan mindmeld with him and is reeling in bad JR this season.
I thought he hit those stepback jumpers...It's his trademark move...
holfresh wrote:ChuckBuck wrote:I really am surprised by his wait for it....consistency!Aside from the stepbacks that make you want to gouge your eyes out, he really is playing solid on both sides of the ball.
It's like Woody has this telepathic Vulcan mindmeld with him and is reeling in bad JR this season.
I thought he hit those stepback jumpers...It's his trademark move...
He's mixing in curls and runners now too. Last year was a plethora of stepbacks! 
Growth Chart
ChuckBuck wrote:I really am surprised by his wait for it....consistency!Aside from the stepbacks that make you want to gouge your eyes out, he really is playing solid on both sides of the ball.
It's like Woody has this telepathic Vulcan mindmeld with him and is reeling in bad JR this season.
“We thought we were getting kind of funky whistles so we had to play better and through the calls. During practice we get on each other about waiting for calls and expecting calls, so today was more of an emphasis, forget about the refs and play our game.”
JR Smith is a new man.
I've truthfully always been in love with J.R's basketball ability. He's a scoring machine coming off that bench. Created threads calling for J.R (to the Knicks) while he was in China last year. Had threads calling for the extension of J.R during the offseason, and now I'm calling for a long term contract in regards to J.R Smith. Getting J.R Smith locked up long term is a must for this franchise moving forward. No way around it. Locking him up, long term, is a franchise must. Has the overall talent, ability and potential to contend for the NBA's 6th Man of the Year award for many of years to come. He's more than just 'instant offense' off the bench, he's electric energy. That can not be replaced. He's a spark plug full of nothing but energy, hustle and heart. One thing that I love about J.R, is that he wears his emotions on his sleeves; and his teammates feed off that.
In regards to his play on the court here in 2012-2013, he's been outstanding. 18.2 points, 4.8 boards, 3.2 assists, 2.2 steals and 0.4 blocks per game. He's only averaging 1.0 turnovers per game. Shooting the rock lights out, with a shooting percentage of .493% from the field. Has gone a crazy 13/18 from beyond the arc. He's the truth.
holfresh wrote:ChuckBuck wrote:I really am surprised by his wait for it....consistency!Aside from the stepbacks that make you want to gouge your eyes out, he really is playing solid on both sides of the ball.
It's like Woody has this telepathic Vulcan mindmeld with him and is reeling in bad JR this season.
I thought he hit those stepback jumpers...It's his trademark move...
Step back jumpers from 18 feet and out are pretty bad jump shots but 15 feet and in, they can be good depending on the circumstances. If that's his trademark move then he needs a new move because if you're a 6'6" shooting guard shooting a career 43% from the field (Yes, I consider fg% to be important) and the defense isn't fully focused, then you need to change it up. With that said, he is playing above his head and playing a lot better. He still takes a lot of bad shots, but he's not jacking up 3s all the time and he's taking advantage of the mid range. If he can keep that style up, then we should enjoy a very successful season from him. His TOs are down and since he came here, his defense has been better. This isn't the type of player he was for most of his career but if he can keep it up, then we have a steal.
Allanfan20 wrote:holfresh wrote:ChuckBuck wrote:I really am surprised by his wait for it....consistency!Aside from the stepbacks that make you want to gouge your eyes out, he really is playing solid on both sides of the ball.
It's like Woody has this telepathic Vulcan mindmeld with him and is reeling in bad JR this season.
I thought he hit those stepback jumpers...It's his trademark move...
Step back jumpers from 18 feet and out are pretty bad jump shots but 15 feet and in, they can be good depending on the circumstances. If that's his trademark move then he needs a new move because if you're a 6'6" shooting guard shooting a career 43% from the field (Yes, I consider fg% to be important) and the defense isn't fully focused, then you need to change it up. With that said, he is playing above his head and playing a lot better. He still takes a lot of bad shots, but he's not jacking up 3s all the time and he's taking advantage of the mid range. If he can keep that style up, then we should enjoy a very successful season from him. His TOs are down and since he came here, his defense has been better. This isn't the type of player he was for most of his career but if he can keep it up, then we have a steal.
Is he really playing above his head? Its not like he haven't had seasons like this. Its has been his mind set and the way he has been used. He needs to play off the ball and is better when his ball handler duties are numbered. Yes he can be a playmaker but he has been good career spot up player, shooter off screens, and transition shooter. Unlike in Denver he is playing with play making pgs on the second unit and even Felton is mostly a pass first guy.
He is playing a heck of a lot better than the rest of his career. He's a career 43% shooter and he's shooting 72% from 3 point range when he's really a career 37% (Solid but not GREAT) shooter. His TOs are super down and his defense has actually been pretty good overall. The answer is yes, he's playing way above his head.
Again, I LOVE how he is playing right now, despite the fact that he's still putting up some pretty wild shots. However, the 3s are going to stop falling so efficiently and by 25 games, if he's still having a rock solid season, then I expect him to be shooting solid but not nearly as good as he is now because he still takes wild shots.
At the end of the season, I expect him to be a lot better than he was for us last season and a little better than his overall career. A more efficient spark off the bench but now and then, he'll still drive you nuts. It will be more acceptable though if he continues playing defense.
He's a great bench player but not the superstar or MVP a few individuals think he is.
Ouch
To me, one of the critical differences between last night and the four previous Knicks victories was the presence, or absence, of Ronnie Brewer. Last night, with Brewer suffering from swelling in the surgically repaired knee that kept him out for much of the preseason, he played just 17 minutes, a season low, and wasn’t the factor he’d been all year. This isn’t just a question of shooting; defense wasn’t as good, rebounding was down. Brewer clearly wasn’t himself.
- Howard Medgal
With the acceleration of the schedule, Ronnie Brewer's tender knee will open the door for extended minutes for JR Smith. Mike Woodson could decide to give JR the pleasure of having his name trumpeted with the starters, or continue to bring him from the bullpen in long relief.
It is a long season. The hope is that Brew's knee does not imitate Shump's knee, and deteriorate any further.
Woodson has a decision.
