There is no better barometer for the New York Knicks than J.R. Smith.
Not Carmelo Anthony. Not Tyson Chandler. Not Raymond Felton or anyone else. Smith.
Considered a residential conundrum, Smith has always drawn attention for his ability to score points in bunches. He's commanded even more attention for his inefficiency.
Smith is averaging 13.1 points per game for his career while shooting just a 42.5 percent clip from the floor. He's connected on fewer than 40 percent of a season's shot attempts twice, and converted on just 40.7 percent of his field goals in his first (partial) year with the Knicks. And of every player in NBA history to average at least 13.1 points a night (minimum 500 games), only 32 players have a lower career clip than Smith.
By now, most of us are thinking, "How can a player like that be important? Place his past off-court transgressions alongside his inconsistencies from the floor and shouldn't you have a liability?"
Perhaps you should. But with Smith, you don't. You have a weapon.
As Smith continues to expand his offensive horizons, his accuracy has improved. And when he plays effi ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Dan Favale
Why J.R. Smith Is Really NY Knicks’ Most Important Player
April 2nd, 2013 by Dan Favale Leave a reply »
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