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The New York Knicks have a lot of work to do if they expect to make any real noise this upcoming season. We all know that they’re a decent team with some talent on the roster. The Knicks might even flirt with 50 wins again in 2013-14. But the real measuring stick in basketball is how a team performs in the postseason.
Last season, the Knicks fell flat on their faces in the second round of the playoffs. One big reason why, was the disappearance of J.R. Smith. After winning sixth-man of the year, Smith was essentially a non-factor in the postseason. There were rumors of him partying too hard between games, but no matter what may have been behind his poor play, the end result was still a bad one for the Knicks.
Smith’s offseason hasn’t been great, either, as he failed a league drug test. The failed test is just one of many mistakes that he’s made over his career. But finally, it appears that Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson has had enough:
“I’m not going to throw him out to the pasture. My job is to coach him and make sure something like what happened doesn’t happen again. That’s what we do as coaches, and I expect his teammates to show him love. But at the end of the day he’s got to do the right thing by J.R. and his teammates, and me as a coach and this organization and the fans that support him. I mean, that’s what it’s all about. He’s got to grow up and do the right things,” said Woodson.
Related: New York Knicks Pick Up Mike Woodson’s Contract Option
Fans have been calling for Smith to grow up for years, but it’s all been to no avail. Now, he’s been re-upped by the Knicks front office for another three years. They’ve sunk $17 million into the shooting guard and it’s a decision that may turn out to haunt them. I just don’t see Smith as a player who will ever get his head on straight. His track record shows that he continually makes mistakes. With a truckload of money already coming his way, the odds of him finally getting it together between the ears aren’t good.
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