Carmelo Anthony doesn’t want J.R. Smith to go anywhere.
The NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year is likely to opt out of the second year of his contract to explore unrestricted free agency. He’s made it clear he wants to remain with the New York Knicks, but there’s no telling what the offseason could bring.
‘Melo has made it equally clear, however, that he wants the Knicks to retain the streaky shooting guard (via Peter Botte and Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News):
“Without a doubt,” Anthony said when asked if he hopes Smith remains in New York. “J.R. is a special player. To me, and to everybody on this team, he’s made a huge step forward as a basketball player. We look forward to that, for him to come out and be focused, the way he was focused this season, win the Sixth Man of the Year award, help us to win another division title, helping us to win 50-plus games.
“He was a big help to this team and I definitely would love him back here.”
In New York, ‘Melo is in a position to get what ‘Melo wants. And he wants Smith to return, so he’ll likely return. In fact, per Marc Berman of the New York Post, it already may be a done deal:
J.R. Smith is expected to opt out of his contract and re-sign with the Knicks in a four-year deal starting at about $5 million because the Knicks own his early-Bird rights rules.
The Knicks could be outbid for J.R. Smith by an under-the-cap team, though it’s unlikely considering his playoff flop. But having Chris Smith as part of the package has convinced the Sixth Man of the Year he wants to stay. After the Game 6 loss Saturday, the embattled Smith said “I want to retire a Knick.’’
Smith’s commitment to the Knicks is admirable, and for the price he can be had at, it’s not irresponsible of New York to re-sign him (if this is indeed true).
The problem, though, is the expectations that the Knicks will place on Smith. He averaged a career-high 18.1 points per game during the regular season, but floundered in the playoffs, where he averaged 14.3 points on 33.1 percent shooting. It was then apparent that he could not shoulder the burden that comes with being a team’s second scoring option. Which is what the Knicks need him to be.
Raymond Felton is far too inconsistent to be considered a No. 2, Iman Shumpert may get there some day, but he’s not there yet and Amar’e Stoudemire hasn’t remained healthy enough to suggest he’s capable of stepping up behind ‘Melo for an entire season either.
That’s left Smith, and all his imperfections. He’s blindly committed to the Knicks, something everyone can appreciate. But every time we think he’s turned a corner, something happens. He gets into trouble off the court or his shot stops falling. The latter is something the Knicks cannot afford. Second options aren’t able to be the hot-and-cold performers that Smith has been his entire career. Not if they wish to win a championship.
Could Smith finally reverse the stigma that still plagues him? Of course. But we’ve been saying that for the better part of a decade.
At the same time, it’s difficult to disagree with ‘Melo. Not because he’s the superstar, but because he’s right—the Knicks need Smith back. There is no one else on the open market the Knicks can afford that would bring the same kind of production or potential as him. Allowing Smith to walk—if he could be had at the rumored price—is then irresponsible.
In an ideal world, the Knicks would bring him back and understand that they can’t place some false sense of hope on his shoulders. That he must be their third or fourth option, not their second. But this isn’t an ideal world. And the Knicks can’t just go out and find a second offensive option.
Barring anything crazy, Smith will be back with the Knicks. ‘Melo’s wish will be granted. As for whether that bodes well for the Knicks, we’ll just have to wait and see.
History tells us it won’t. Not like it should. It won’t exactly harm the Knicks, but it won’t take them to the next level either. Not unless Smith becomes the player he’s failed to be for the last nine years.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
