The Nuggets Offseason: J.R. Smith...
by Andrew Feinstein on May 8, 2008 9:31 PM MDT
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Throughout the offseason, DenverStiffs.com will focus on a player on the current Nuggets roster and propose what should be done (if anything) with him. With the NBA Playoffs still in progress, the draft lottery order yet to be determined and the free agency market still unclear (i.e. who will be opting out of their deals around the league), we will begin by focusing on players that are unlikely to be traded. Our first subject is J.R. Smith, the exceptionally talented if often troubled shooting guard who has spent much of his time in Denver in head coach George Karl's doghouse - including Karl's unacceptable and unprofessional announcement of "he's done" when referring to Smith's play after a 2007 playoff loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Way to encourage a 21-year-old kid, George.
The Good: You hear this phrase thrown around a lot, but Smith has legitimate All-Star potential. Not only can he effectively shoot the three (he's a 40% shooter from behind the arc), but he might be the most purely athletic two-guard in the NBA, making him virtually unstoppable when driving to the hole. Just ask the Lakers' interior defense. Moreover, Smith is an efficient scorer. If he played 36 minutes a game, he'd be a 23 points per game scorer. On the intangibles side, he has infectious enthusiasm - evident by being the lead cheerleader on the Nuggets bench every night - and an obvious desire to be in the game at all times. As one NBA assistant coach once told me: "you always want a guy you have to dial down, not dial up." And Smith certainly fits that description. If you get a chance, I recommend reading Chris Dempsey's Denver Post piece on Smith's improvement and maturity this season.
The Bad: Typical of a teenage phenom who never played college basketball, Smith's shot selection and commitment to defense leaves much to be desired (understatement). Even though his enthusiasm is a plus, Smith can be overanxious in games resulting in unnecessary trash talking (as seen in this year's playoffs with Lakers star Kobe Bryant) or worse, altercations with opponents (as seen in last season's Madison Square Garden Melee, even though Smith didn't start the brawl). He's also a perpetual whiner with the refs, a nasty habit he's picked up from Nuggets superstar guard Allen Iverson. And finally, Smith has clashed with both coaches he's played for - Byron Scott and George Karl - each of whom has accused Smith of having a bad attitude. Smith's reputation among coaches was so bad, in fact, that when New Orleans traded him to Chicago (apparently at Scott's insistence), Bulls' head coach Scott Skiles didn't want him either. Thus, Smith ended up in Denver for two second round draft picks and Howard Eisley. At least we got him cheap!
The Verdict: Anyone looking to sign (or in the Nuggets' case, re-sign) Smith must take into account his off-the-court problems and penchant for clashing with coaches, while keeping in mind that he's not even 23 years old yet. It got little coverage in the press, but Allen Iverson said some remarkably revealing things about Smith in the Game 4 postgame press conference. I don't have the exact quote handy, but I distinctly remember Iverson saying something along the lines of: "J.R. has all the talent in the world. He just needs to realize that by making better choices in his non-basketball life will greatly improve his basketball life. And if there's anything I can do to mentor him, I will."
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by nataly on May 8, 2008 10:45 PM MDT reply actions
For the nuggets to use him properly they're gonna need a legitimate PG or a 6'7 or taller two guard who can pass, hit the three and play descent D. They should look for that kind of player in the draft, (I really see him being the next Bruce Bowen if the coach let's him play)
by j2y2k3 on May 8, 2008 11:45 PM MDT reply actions
This is all the truth and i will be SO upset if they decide to let him go because of cap issues.
by danjustin on May 9, 2008 12:39 AM MDT reply actions
T-Mac had a great playoff series in Toronto and the Magic signed him to a max deal based on that series performance and his potential... similar case? I'd like to think so.
T-Mac was longer and a much better defender at the same point of their careers, but there'll be GMs who will not be able to resist his talent.
I think he will get a Jason Richardson's contract aka $10 mil per. And I do think the Nuggets will be faced with that difficult decision whether to match it or not.
And yeah, it should be "restricted" Andrew :)
- Snake -
by Anonymous on May 9, 2008 1:20 AM MDT reply actions
Question: would Doug Moe call JR a "stiff"?
by Geerten on May 9, 2008 2:37 AM MDT reply actions
by Anonymous on May 9, 2008 5:40 AM MDT reply actions
even Kobe Bryant said about J.R: "J.R. is a good young player. He was a lot to handle."
And that's a staggering statistic that he only played 30+ minutes twice! And in the times he did, he scored 43 and 26 points leading the team! What more can you say about that? It speaks for itself i believe.
I hope we re-sign him. He has so much potential. JR and Melo rippin it up for years to come with Nene being healthy on the post. What a future that would be.
Sign Eddy? I think Najera wants to stay in Denver. But JR is more of a priority. That doesn't mean give up on Eddy though! Great role player. I assume the next report will be on Eduardo maybe?
Peace
by andrew fisher on May 9, 2008 6:15 AM MDT reply actions
http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/nuggets/archives/2008/05/jr_smiths_summe.html
by andrew fisher on May 9, 2008 6:32 AM MDT reply actions
Let's be honest he is fun to watch but his overall maturation is very low. He is like Kobe is rookie season. I do think a big three of him ,AI and Carmelo is the only plausible future they have. The way the NBA is shaping now, if you don't have 3 dominant offensive players, you're not gonna be very competitive.
by Anonymous on May 9, 2008 7:58 AM MDT reply actions
The only change that is needed is getting rid of a George Karl and his 3-16 Playoff Record.
In retrospect. When AI was with the Sixers... Larry brown was 28-30in 5 Playoff appearences, with a lessor roster. Better coach leads to better play.
by chillz on May 9, 2008 8:13 AM MDT reply actions
First off, thanks for catching my bonehead error in referring to Smith as an "unrestricted" free agent initially. This is the price I pay for writing my big posts late at night with no editor! It's fixed now.
Secondly, to the reader above inquiring as to whether or not Doug Moe would call Smith a "stiff," here is Moe's exact quote from Mark Kiszla's March 16th editorial:
As Moe so eloquently put it: "Remember when (former Nuggets GM) Pete Babcock gave Blair Rasmussen that big contract back when I was the coach? He told me, 'Well, if you project his numbers over 48 minutes, he's the third-best center in the whole league.' And I told him, 'What, are you a complete idiot?' "
Moe, however, believes Smith can be an exception to the rule. If the Nuggets are to move up from ninth place in the conference standings, Smith will have to play a major role.
"That rule is for stiffs and no-hopers," Moe said. "J.R. has so much more talent than guys who are typical off-the-bench players. He's got starting talent."
Thanks again for supporting the blog and catching my errors when they come up. Enjoy the weekend!
All best,
Andrew
by denverstiffs@gmail.com on May 9, 2008 8:35 AM MDT reply actions
Having a weak pick, an over-the-cap salary and unmovable contracts, we have very little wiggle room for the coming season. The one thing MGT needs to do to placate fans is make sure we get JR back in a Nuggets jersey.
by Eric on May 9, 2008 11:40 AM MDT reply actions
by grantarchy on May 9, 2008 12:10 PM MDT reply actions
And you're right. He's the only Nugget who consistently brought his "A" game against the Lakers. Hell, he should've been our go-to guy in that series.
by DeAngelo Starnes on May 9, 2008 7:34 PM MDT reply actions
On a team that lacked genuine enthusiasm in the playoffs, JR and Kleiza were the only performances worth the price of admission for Nugs fans.
by parce on May 11, 2008 10:11 AM MDT reply actions
by markp on May 11, 2008 10:11 PM MDT reply actions
Maybe Kroenke will wake up and smell the coffee sometime in the forseable future.
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by aoyang on Oct 20, 2008 5:50 PM MDT reply actions
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