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Far from lost in the excitement of the New York Knicks’ victory over the Miami Heat was J.R. Smith, the ever-erratic shooting guard turned punchline.
Quite literally, he was lost. For the entire game.
Knicks coach Mike Woodson didn’t play Smith Thursday night following his latest gaffe, a $50,000 fine for “recurrent instances of unsportsmanlike conduct,” no insignificant tidbit when you consider Woody has been one of Swish’s biggest supporters. It became clear long ago it would take more than elongated spans of poor decision-making and unproductive court time for Smith, who is averaging 32.3 minutes per game this season, to be given something other than a slap on the wrist, accompanied by a practiced politician’s smile.
Turns out that “more” was really just him comically untying the shoelaces of Shawn Marion, and attempting the same on Greg Monroe.
Whatever Woodson’s reasoning was—he refused to address Smith’s issues before and after the game—it’s different now than it was before, when he and the Knicks organization openly catered to Smith, never once disciplining him for on- or off-court stupidity. Hell, the Knicks can even be called enablers, after retaining Smith’s brother, Chris, far longer than they ever should’ve.
And now, having reached their breaking point, the Knicks are reportedly attempting to trade Smith, who is in the first season of a three-year contract worth nearly $18 million.
Smith, a serial tweeter and Instagram user, always seems aware of what’s being said about him, and the case was no different following New York’s victory over Miami. Visibly gloomy and obviously distraught, Smith expressed doubt about his future in New York.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuQPwvpe_bE
“Honestly I don’t even know,” he said, via the New York Daily News‘ Frank Isola when asked if he thought he had a future in the Big Apple. “At one point I was for sure and now…it’s rocking the boat.”
More likely than not, Smith’s future is in New York, if only because his contract, while not absurd, is immovable because of the man, not the player. Smith has been awful this year, averaging just 11.3 points on 34.8 percent shooting, but less than a full season removed from a Sixth Man of the Year campaign, some teams might be willing to overlook his current struggles when he’s earning roughly $6 million annually. But they cannot overlook the man-child behind the contract.
So Smith will stay with the Knicks, the team he openly admitted he wanted to retire with last spring. And he will likely crack the rotation again, perhaps knowing his actions have more than financial consequences. Maybe even with a new lease on his career—because of one, unsuspected benching.
That’s the thing with Smith, you just don’t know. Soft-spoken for a player who demands this much attention, he’s always been unpredictable. From his play, to his actions, Smith has been the ultimate wild card, never ceasing to amaze and infuriate.
Consumed by frustration of his own, Smith was likely a victim of the moment, doubting his future in New York after one night as a bystander. Emotions were running high and impulsive responses are to be expected.
But when looked at logically, there’s no way Smith’s immediate future isn’t with the Knicks. It’s the kind of future he’s headed for that’s the mystery.
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.
