Knicks Rumors: New York Must Nab J.R. Smith to Reinvigorate Stagnant Offense

Upstart point guard Jeremy Lin has breathed new life into the New York Knicks' offensive attack, but it still lacks finishers. One way to address that would be to sign shooting guard J.R. Smith upon his return from China.

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni indicated that the Knicks would have interest in signing Smith to their mini-mid-level exception of $2.5 million when he becomes eligible following the season of his current Chinese team.

It has become painfully obvious that the Knicks need some help in the perimeter scoring department. Carmelo Anthony, who is expected to miss one or two weeks with a groin injury, is obviously elite, but after him there isn't much in place in terms of reliable scorers.

Landry Fields is more of a do-everything guy, while rookie Iman Shumpert is a defensive stopper. Toney Douglas has had a rough year and Baron Davis still hasn't played in a single game due to back issues. D'Antoni's offense is predicated on hitting open shots, and New York doesn't have many players capable of doing that right now.

Smith would be able to step in immediately and contribute, though. Over the past five years Smith has developed into one of the league's most potent bench scorers. He has maintained a scoring average of at least 12.3 points per game in each of the past five years and has made over two 3-pointers per contest in four of those seasons.

While Smith has never exactly been considered a model teammate, that isn't something the Knicks are in a position to worry about. Much to the surprise of most basketball fans they are currently outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture, so improvements need to be made in a timely fashion.

As the Phoenix Suns' head coach, D'Antoni always had a bevy of shooters at his disposal that could sink open threes created by point guard Steve Nash. It's beginning to look like Lin has the ability to break down opposing defenses, but that doesn't mean much if the Knicks don't have shooters that can make the other team pay.

Smith is a pure shooter who can fill it up when he's on a hot streak. There will certainly be games where he steps in and can't hit anything, but such is life with a streaky shooter. The Knicks need him anyway because when he's on his game he is among the best in the game in his role.

It really is curious that the Knicks' front office neglected to grab any shooters during the offseason with the exception of seldom-used Steve Novak. Carmelo, Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler can't do all the offensive leg work, but there isn't anyone else who can keep defenses honest.

Smith has a reputation as one of the league's most dangerous shooters, and that alone will draw some attention away from New York's stars. Bringing in Smith wouldn't make the Knicks a title favorite or anything, but it would make them look much more like a playoff team.