After much speculation all week about whether JR Smith will still be on the Knicks next year, he has put all the worries aside. This morning he confirmed that he was resigning with New York. Smith posted a picture (above) of himself with the caption, “#HOLDUPWAITAMINYATHOUGHTIWASFINISHED”.
Many thought the Knicks were not going to resign Smith after he opted to be a free agent and they drafted shooter Tim Hardaway Jr. However, Smith was an incredible spark plug off the bench for New York and was too valuable to let walk away. Smith is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year. The Knicks are rumored to be giving Smith a 4 year/ $24 million contract. While on the floor with Carmelo Anthony, teams had a hard time defending both shooters. While being incredibly efficient in the regular season, Smith appeared to fade during the postseason after being suspended one game for elbowing Jason Terry in the head.
This is a ‘good news’ ‘bad news’ deal. The good news is that he’s back because there really wasn’t anyone else who the Knicks could afford or with Smith’s kind of talent out there. The bad news is that Smith is inconsistent, at times becomes a ‘ball hog’, and has a nasty temper as witnessed during the playoffs. If he can reel in his anger issues (he gets way too many techs) and if Woodson can continue J.R.’s maturation process, then he’ll been an asset to the team.
Have a safe & happy Fourth!