J.R. Smith is thrilled to be back at the Garden on Sunday to face the Knicks because he will be defending the triangle offense, not trying to play in it.
In furthering his assault on Phil Jackson's triangle system, Smith admitted he "wasn't the right fit'' in the offense, wished the Knicks ran a more up-tempo system and wondered if some 2015 free agents, those who are freelancers like himself, will be turned off by the structured offense.
Smith had a devilish stint with the Knicks but has been a whirling dervish with the Cavaliers, where his presence has launched LeBron James' squad to being the NBA's hottest team since mid-January, winning 15 of its past 17. Iman Shumpert, to a lesser extent, also has helped off the bench.
It would be the final dagger to Jackson's miserable first full season as team president if he is forced to watch on television as Smith and Shumpert guzzle champagne in the Cavaliers' locker-room after winning the title.
"I don't want to say I felt different [since the trade], [the system] was just easier to play,'' Smith said. "The style of basketball we play suits my game — run and gun, shoot open shots. Just play.
"It was tough from a mental standpoint. You start second-guessing yourself and your talent to a certain point. So many guys thrived in that triangle, and you want to put yourself in that class. Not living up to it is kind of disappointing.''
Asked the toughest part of mastering the Derek Fisher/Jackson system, Smith gave his most detailed complaint yet.
"The toughest thing is we didn't run enough,'' Smith said. "With the talent we had, there was no transition offense. It was bring the ball up, run our set and go from there. Everything is a read. So I may not be reading the same thing as the next person is reading. Before you know it, you got turnovers, missed shots and bad transition defense.''
And you got Smith and Shumpert out the door in Jackson's fire sale.
Cavaliers rookie coach Dave Blatt, longtime Israeli coaching stud, speaks of Smith and Shumpert as proudly as a father giving a speech on his son's Bar Mitzvah Day.
"I have no idea on what happened in the past, but I can tell you one thing — J.R. Smith has been a dream for us,'' Blatt said. "I love the guy. I love coaching him. He comes to work every single day. He's a great teammate, playing both ends of the court.
"He's one of the main reasons for our turnaround — together with Iman, who started later because of the injury. They've been a godsend for us. They've turned the team around.''
Smith went as far as saying the triangle can limit the Knicks in free agency.
"You could look at it as a chance to play in New York, one of the best cities in the world, and get a chance to play for the guys who've won more rings than anyone in the business,'' Smith said. "It's a matter if the situation fits your game. If you're a freelance player who likes to play up and down, it's not going to suit your game. If you like to play in the halfcourt and move the ball and sacrifice, it is your situation.''
Smith, a Freehold, N.J., native who may have enjoyed the nightlife in New York too much, also said having his family/friends made his stint less focused than being away in Cleveland.
"Not just the nightlife, it's being from here knowing so many people, my family, friends having a constant access,'' Smith said. "That took a lot out of me, too. Being in Cleveland there's none of that. There's no distractions. If there's a distraction out there, you created it.''
Surrounded by James, Kevin Love, Shawn Marion, Smith also doesn't have to be a prime leader.
"I put more pressure on myself, making sure everyone's on the right page,'' Smith said. "I tried to be one of the leaders of the team, make sure young guys did what was needed. This is more of a veteran crew. I can be just me and do what I do and everybody accepts it. It's great.''
After the trade, Fisher made many references to the vibe being better in the locker room without the drain of players who had gone through the losing. Now the Knicks are bare-bones at 10-44, with just one player left from the 54-win team of 2012-13 when Smith won Sixth Man.
"Funny we're in the situation we're in,'' Smith said. "Tyson [Chandler] in Dallas playing well, me and Shump here playing well. We weren't the fit they were looking for. Hopefully they find it.''
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
J.R. Smith sounds off — with a warning — about Knicks’ triangle
Dengan url
http://bahayaprostat.blogspot.com/2015/02/jr-smith-sounds-off-with-warning-about.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
J.R. Smith sounds off — with a warning — about Knicks’ triangle
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
J.R. Smith sounds off — with a warning — about Knicks’ triangle
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar