NBA Rumors: Why J.R. Smith Must Pick the Clippers Over the Knicks

J.R. Smith is back in the U.S. and he has a decision to make: Knicks or Clippers?

Both teams are courting the former Nuggets guard, who played in China for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls up until a few days ago. However, while New York’s “Linsanity” is grabbing a lot of headlines, the City of Angels—not the Big Apple—is where Smith belongs.

Here are a couple of reasons why Smith was meant to be a Clipper and not a Knick. 

Familiarity

This isn’t the NBA of the 1980s or 1990s, when rivalries were ultra-fierce and players on different teams hated each other (think Pistons/Celtics, Celtics/Lakers and Pistons/Bulls). Guys play with their friends nowadays, just like Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have been doing in Miami over the past two seasons. 

Kenyon Martin and Chauncey Billups both played with Smith in Denver and Chris Paul helped launch Smith’s career while they played together in New Orleans. Having three former teammates in the locker room should help Smith adjust quickly to life as a Clipper.

Lob City

Smith is only 26 and has always been super-athletic. Indeed, the former dunk contest participant can leap with the best of them. Therefore, with Chris Paul at the point to feed him alley-oops, Smith could be feeding the Clippers a steady diet of highlight-reel dunks. 

Chauncey is Out

J.R. Smith seems like the logical replacement for Chauncey Billups, who just went down with a season-ending Achilles injury.  He plays the two, he can create off the dribble and he’s a silky-smooth three-point shooter with range for days. 

With Randy Foye (just 7.8 points per game) as his only competition at shooting guard, Smith would get plenty of playing time, which means plenty of three-pointers for the Clips. 

The Carmelo Factor

When’s he’s been on the court, Carmelo Anthony’s isolation-heavy style of play has slowed the New York offense to a snail’s pace.  Smith thrives in an up-tempo system that rewards athleticism and quickness. 

Plus, we all know that Smith likes to shoot. With Jeremy Lin’s emergence, between Smith, Lin, Amar’e Stoudemire and Anthony, there simply won’t be enough shots to go around.