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J.R. Smith

J.R. Smith Wins Sixth Man Of The Year

April 22nd, 2013 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

1:44pm: Smith has been officially announced as the Sixth Man of the Year, with Crawford, Jack, Martin, and Anderson rounding out the top five, in that order. Smith received 72 of 121 first-place votes, with Crawford (31) and Jack (14) picking up most of the rest of the first-place nods.

9:12am: The NBA will make an announcement at 1:30pm CST today from the Madison Square Garden training center, according to the Knicks (Twitter link). Howard Beck of the New York Times reports (via Twitter) that the press conference will be for this year's first award winner, as J.R. Smith will be named Sixth Man of the Year.

Smith, 27, came off the bench for the Knicks in each of his 80 games this season, averaging a career-high 18.1 PPG and recording a 17.6 PER. It was the best season of Smith's nine-year NBA career, as he emerged as the Knicks' second scoring option behind Carmelo Anthony.

We'll hear later this afternoon how exactly the voting broke down, but Jamal Crawford (Clippers), Jarrett Jack (Warriors), Ryan Anderson (Pelicans), and Kevin Martin (Thunder) were also expected to receive consideration for the award.

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Odds & Ends: Mack, Suns, Favors, Smith, Dirk

April 8th, 2013 at 8:15pm CST by Alex Lee

While there are no games on the NBA docket tonight, there are still plenty of news items to pass along.  Here are some odds and ends from around the league:

  • Shelvin Mack has finally found a home in Atlanta, writes NBA.com's Jon Cooper.  Mack, who re-signed with the Hawks after the expiration of his second 10-day contract on March 26, has received a bump in minutes of late and has responded with a handful of solid performances. 
  • Along with their own first round pick, which figures to be high, the Suns will also have another selection in round one – either the Lakers pick if they miss the playoffs or the Heat's pick if L.A. sneaks in.  Jay Dieffenbach of AzCentral takes a look at the top, middle and back of the past four NBA draft's to give Suns fans an idea of what they should expect.  
  • Jazz big man Derrick Favors has made the most of the increased playing time that has resulted from Enes Kanter's season-ending injury, writes Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune.  According to Luhm, Favors is also completely settled in as a member of the Jazz after being dealt to Utah two years ago as a teenager. 
  • Here is a transcript of a J.R. Smith interview on ESPN Radio New York, courtesy of SportsRadioInterviews.com, within which Smith details the keys to his breakout season with the Knicks.  Smith is the owner of a $2.93MM player option this offseason.  If declined, he will become a free agent coming off a career year.  
  • In HoopsWorld's NBA PM column, Bill Ingram writes that it won't be a surprise if Dirk Nowitzki's patience runs out should the Mavericks strike out once again this offseason.  Nowitzki has repeatedly professed his loyalty to the Dallas organization, despite the dismantling of the 2010-11 title team and the disappointment of what was supposed to be a huge summer in 2012.  The Mavs are again ideally positioned to make an impact this summer, but it remains to be seen what players make it to free agency.
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Atlantic Notes: Celtics, J.R. Smith, Nets, Collins

April 6th, 2013 at 3:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

Depth at guard and the resurgence of Jeff Green have helped the Celtics remain relevant in the wake of Rajon Rondo's injury, as HoopsWorld's Stephen Brotherston details. Brotherston ponders the chances of a Heat-Celtics clash in the first round, and believes the Celtics would relish another playoff series with Miami. I'm inclined to believe Doc Rivers, who told reporters yesterday, including Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com, that he's not trying to match up with the Heat."Listen, I’m not that dumb," Rivers said. "I’m not the brightest guy but come on. Really, you would love to avoid anyone (like Miami)."

While we wait to find out Boston's first-round opponent, there's plenty of other news from the C's and their Atlantic Division rivals: 

  • Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com spoke to a pair of agents, an NBA executive and a longtime scout who agree that there's uncertainty surrounding this summer's market price for Knicks sixth man J.R. Smith. The soon-to-be free agent's inconsistent play and reputation as a frequent partier could hold down his value, but a strong postseason performance could help him, Zwerling writes.
  • The playoffs will determine the fate of Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who believes the team won't hesitate to go after marquee names like Phil Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy.
  • The Sixers have already picked up their team option on coach Doug Collins for next season, and all indications are that the decision on whether he'll return will be left to the coach himself, Stein reports in the same piece.
  • Petraglia wonders whether midseason pickup Shavlik Randolph — a veteran of four total playoff minutes — could be a postseason factor for the Celtics.
  • Celtics guard Jordan Crawford clearly has little love lost for his former team. The ex-Wizard twice said, "I don't recall playing for Washington," to reporters Saturday. Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe provides detail.
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New York Notes: Deron, Chandler, Carmelo

March 16th, 2013 at 8:05pm CST by Ryan Raroque

With the Knicks set to face the Clippers during what has been a dreary road trip and the Nets hosting the Hawks in Brooklyn, both teams could find itself in a virtual tie for first place in the Atlantic Division tomorrow if Los Angeles wins and Atlanta loses. While Manhattan deals with the uncertainty of Carmelo Anthony's knee, Brooklyn finds Deron Williams in the middle of what appears to be his second wind, as Newsday's Roderick Boone observes that the point guard looks to be past the ankle pains that limited him early on this season. Here's more out of New York tonight: 

  • Tyson Chandler, who joins Anthony in recovering from an injury, views this as an opportunity for both of them to get enough rest to prepare them for a last season push, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. In addition to calling it a "blessing in disguise," Chandler also told reporters: "I feel like (Carmelo) will fully heal and be back over the next couple of games…I know I will be back in the next couple of games. So we won with this lineup at the beginning of this year. That's when we went on our tear, and there's no reason why we can't get right back to that."
  • In reading a Wall-Street Journal piece about Carmelo, Marc Berman of the New York Post points out the impact that the Knicks star had on J.R. Smith, who credits Anthony for reigning in his focus this year (Sulia link).
  • Despite the two teams being finished with their regular season meetings, Howard Beck of the New York Times breaks down the remaining challenges that the cross-town rivals face in the race for the Atlantic Division. 
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Eastern Notes: Knicks, Heat, Pistons, Harkless

February 9th, 2013 at 12:11pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the Eastern Conference on Saturday morning:

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Atlantic Notes: Smith, Shumpert, Celtics, Bradley

January 6th, 2013 at 3:39pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the Atlantic Division on Sunday afternoon:

  • Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com speculates about J.R. Smith's next contract. Smith holds a $2.9MM player option with the Knicks for the 2013/14 season, and the team would be able to offer him $5.5MM via early bird rights if he declines it. Zwerling thinks Smith could command more than that on the open market, but notes that he loves playing in New York and may be inclined to take a pay cut to stay.
  • Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports that Iman Shumpert is hoping to return to the court in one to two weeks.
  • Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes that the Knicks have turned the tables on their long-standing rivalry with the Celtics and now have the upper hand in the matchup.
  • Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com breaks down the improvements the Celtics have made defensively since Avery Bradley has returned to the lineup.
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Odds & Ends: Crawford, Smith, Knicks, Miller

December 27th, 2012 at 10:59pm CST by Zachary Links

J.R. Smith‘s production so far this season clearly outweighs his pay this season and the guard looks like a mortal lock to opt out of his $2.9MM option for 2013/14.  However, Smith tells Sam Amick of USA Today that he hopes to stay in New York beyond this season.  “Right now, I’m just trying to play it out and do the best I can throughout this year and hopefully I’ll be back here. That’s my plan. I don’t want to play anywhere else. I love it here,” said Smith.  Here’s more (non-Nets) news from around the Association..

  • The Celtics could have had Jamal Crawford for the right offer, but they were still going after Ray Allen when Crawford inked his deal with the Clippers, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
  • Amick also spoke with guard Andre Miller about his reasons for re-signing with the Nuggets despite his desire to be a starter.  The 36-year-old explained that at this stage in his life, stability was a major factor for him and his children.
  • Blazers center J.J. Hickson is playing exceptionally well as of late and Sam Amico of FOX Sports (on Twitter) sees him as a a trade candidate.  The big man, who is set to hit the open market at the end of the season, has nine straight double-doubles.
  • Blazers veterans Sasha Pavlovic, Ronnie Price, and Jared Jeffries have been good soldiers in taking a backseat to Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Hickson, and Nicolas Batum, writes Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
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Odds & Ends: Odom, Duncan, Johnson, Blazers

November 11th, 2012 at 10:20pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Sunday evening:

  • Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes that the Clippers still aren't sure what contributions they can expect from Lamar Odom this season.
  • Tim Duncan is playing like an MVP candidate this season, says Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News.
  • David D'Alessandro of the Newark Star-Ledges examines Nets guard Joe Johnson's slow start to the season.
  • The Trail Blazers have the least productive bench in the league so far, but Chris Haynes of CSNNW.comthinks the team should give their young reserves more playing time so they can develop and improve.
  • Marc Berman of the New York Post writes that the Knicks' J.R. Smith is an early candidate for Sixth Man of the Year.
  • Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com has a new mailbag covering various Celtics topics.
  • Barry Tramel of the Oklahoman is impressed with new Thunder guard Kevin Martin.
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East Notes: Smith, Drummond, Cavs

November 11th, 2012 at 1:41pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the Eastern Conference on Sunday afternoon:

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Atlantic Notes: Defense, Melo, Smith, Garnett

November 4th, 2012 at 7:45pm CST by Alex Lee

Through two games, it sure looks like multitude of veteran additions that the Knicks made this offseason have made them a more complete team.  In the Atlantic division's only contest today, the Knicks stayed unbeaten in impressive fashion with a 100-84 win over the rival 76ers.  They are now 2-0 for the first time since 1999.

Let's round up some other Sunday night links from around the Atlantic divsion here:

  • ESPN Boston's Chris Forsberg breaks down first round pick Jared Sullinger's night on Saturday, a game in which he was thrust into the Celtics starting lineup in his third game as a pro.  Sullinger responded admirably, grabbing 7 boards in more than 30 minutes of action.
  • 76ers head coach Doug Collins is still hopeful that he can help "unlock" third-year swing man Evan Turner, and thinks it could be just one breakout game away, writes John Finger of CSN Philly.  Turner, the second pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, has showed stellar rebounding skills but the rest of his game has yet to develop as planned. 
  • Brook Lopez spent much of the offseason in the weight room in an effort to improve his rebounding abilities, writes Roderick Boone of Newsday, but the Nets big man has yet to see the results of his hard work translate on the court.

Earlier updates:

  • The Knicks have held their first two opponents to 84 points or less for the first time in 60 years, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York.  Carmelo Anthony seems to be buying into Mike Woodson's defensive philosophy, and his teammates have noticed and followed suit.
  • One of those teammates is Knicks guard J.R. Smith, who was told to shoot on Sunday by Woodson and responded with 20 points off the bench, writes Ian Begley of ESPN New York.  Smith, who is normally prone to jacking up too many bad shots, joined the Knicks last season after returning from China and reupped with the team on a two-year deal in July. 
  • The rebuilt Celtics may take longer to mesh than originally expected, opines Sherrod Blakely.  Blakely says that Kevin Garnett's defensive abilities make him uniquely critical as all the new pieces try to find their place on the team. 
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