Knicks Rumors: J.R. Smith and 5 Reasons the New York Knicks Could Contend

J.R. Smith made his return to the United States official via Twitter, saying he'd be back home on February 15th.

The New York Knicks may be his next stop, and if the two sides come to an agreement, Carmelo Anthony's former teammate could become the missing piece for a team with unlocked potential.

With the emergence of Jeremy Lin at point guard, Mike D'Antoni's club has found renewed hope in an otherwise dismal season. His fashion sensibilities aside, Lin appears poised to fill a void in the Knicks lineup and give the team much needed shooting and floor vision.

Smith meanwhile has openly flirted with the idea of joining New York, and he would certainly make sense in an offensive scheme driven by an uptempo, run-and-gun philosophy. Landry Fields has given the Knicks good minutes at shooting guard, but he's a far cry from J.R. Smith's offensive ability.

With Carmelo Anthony soon to return from a strained groin, the Knicks will be at full strength and bolstered by Lin's inspiring play. 

The Knicks are, of course, an attractive option for Smith and a global stage for him to display his skills. If all goes as planned, there are at least five reasons the Knicks can contend this year.

Jeremy Lin

Plenty has been written about Jeremy Lin; what matters is this: Whether or not he's got the upside of a star, he will do what New York needs him to do. He can shoot, get to the basket, draw fouls and has solid court vision.

He'll turn the ball over less as the Knicks become less dependent on his heroics, and he just might flourish once Carmelo and Stoudemire return.

Fans should be realistic. Lin will not be this year's MVP, and he may not even be the Knicks point guard of the future. We do know that he's handled the pressure of New York's limelight with grace.

Expect to see Lin's production taper off a bit. He will probably average closer to 14 points and six assists when all is said and done. With the support of Baron Davis and Toney Douglas down the road, that should be more than good enough to keep New York in the playoff hunt.

It might even be good enough to give the rest of the East a run for its money.

Lin's most valuable contribution, though, may have nothing to do with his production. His humility and team focus are a much-needed addition to a team with two stars consumed by their stardom. Jeremy Lin is precisely the kind of "model citizen" D'Antoni needs in his locker rooms.

Whether or not the second-year revelation will ever display Nash-like skills, New York needs him to show Nash-like soul.

After all, New York already had championship talent. Now, it has the heart to go with it.

The Missing Link

J.R. Smith can score with the best of them. 

Some will worry that Smith is bad news for New York's chemistry, but the Knicks should take their chances. They didn't seem too worried about the team dynamic when they paired Amar'e and Carmelo (two half-court scorers who each needs lots of touches) under D'Antoni (a coach who likes to push the tempo while moving the ball around). Why start now?

At 13-15, it's not as if New York can comfortably sit back and do nothing. Even with Lin's contributions, the Knicks can use all the help they can get.

The notion that the Knicks should eschew Smith's services seems to assume that New York is more likely to play "team" basketball without him. I'll believe it when I see it. It may very well be that the only thing to pry the ball out of Anthony's hands is an open J.R. Smith on the perimeter.

Sounds like reason enough to do this deal. 

The Stars Will Align

Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony have no choice but to make things work.

Neither would be easy to move, and most Knicks fans aren't interested in turning the roster over so soon after winning the Anthony sweepstakes.

It's do or die time for the two stars, and they will find a way. It's easy to become impatient with the Knicks' win column, but analysts clamoring to blow everything up should perhaps take a more sober look at the status quo.

This is still only the first full season Carmelo's been in the mix. With a shortened preseason and training camp interrupting each team's cohesion, a club like New York was bound to take the hit the hardest. 

Adding Tyson Chandler and subtracting floor general Chauncey Billups predictably makes this team's evolution that much slower.

None of what's broken, however, can't be fixed with patience and commitment. With nowhere else to go, New York's stars have no choice but to make it happen.

Anthony may not yet be shooting particularly well, but he's averaging over four assists a game despite never finishing a season with more than 3.8. He's also taking fewer shots per game than he did last season (and three fewer than the 21.8 he averaged in 2009-2010).

In other words, he's trying. His shot will come along and he will become more accustomed to sharing time with Stoudemire in D'Antoni's system. When that happens, New York will compete with the East's elite.

Championship Pedigree

The deal New York signed Tyson Chandler to prior to this season will pay him over $14 million in 2014-15. That's a steep price to pay both in real dollars and cap flexibility, and it should tell you just how badly the Knicks wanted to pry away the heart of the Dallas Mavericks' championship defense.

While New York hasn't turned into a stifling stopper overnight, Chandler's value couldn't be more obvious as this year's Mavericks border on mediocrity.

New York's defense will get better. Chandler's influence will grow over time, and the team will learn how to play better defense during key game stretches at the very least. Chandler will do as much for the team's defensive culture as he actually does patrolling the paint.

But these things take time, and they require a buy-in from the rest of the Knicks. With its stars temporarily sidelined, the fill-ins have played some scrappy D at times. Chandler's leadership might just have something to do with that.

Even if New York never plays elite defense, Chandler's veteran leadership will be evident come the postseason. 

It doesn't hurt that he's averaging almost 12 points and 10 rebounds a game. He's also been a model of efficiency, making over 70 percent of his field goals.

An Improving Supporting Cast

In his last five games, Iman Shumpert is averaging 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.4 steals a game. The rookie out of Georgia Tech came up especially big Saturday night against Minnesota, momentarily taking the attention away from "Linsanity."

Lin has also been the first to acknowledge Jared Jeffries' improved play. He's averaged 8.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals over his last five games, making the most of his opportunity to replace the grieving Stoudemire.

While Landry Fields has had some rough shooting games, he too came up big against the Timberwolves, scoring 19 on 8-of-10 shooting. Of course, most of Fields' contributions come on the boards and defensively.

That's exactly what the Knicks will need to spell Carmelo and hopefully J.R. Smith.

Even Steve Novak has gotten in on the fun and proven to be a more-than-reliable three-point threat.

When Baron Davis eventually gets on the court, he'll be an upgrade over Mike Bibby whether he starts or not.

It's not the best bench unit in the league, but Miami's bench doesn't exactly turn heads either. If the starters remain healthy in the playoffs, the supporting cast won't be asked to do much.

Their impressive play of late suggests they just might be able to do enough.