Knicks Rumors: New York Signing JR Smith Would Be Major Mistake

Sometimes the New York Knicks make me wonder if they ever want to truly succeed.

Their current seven-game win streak is something Knicks fans aren't used to. With overnight sensation Jeremy Lin running point, the Knicks have transformed into a different team and even blew out the Sacramento Kings last night.

But rumors continue to fly about a potential J.R. Smith signing and today they've hit an all-time high. According to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, the Knicks are closing in on a deal with the New Jersey native.

The former Denver Nuggets swingman was one of the few players who opted to play in China this season for fear of a full season lockout. His Chinese campaign has come to an end and he'll soon be back on an NBA basketball court.

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld furthers Isola's knowledge tweeting:

If true, the Knicks will have made a grave mistake.

Right now the Knicks are experiencing the birth of new star in point guard Jeremy Lin. He's not only become a starter, but is quickly becoming a superstar. The Knicks already have two of those by the name of Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.

The latter has yet to step on the court with Lin, but STAT has returned. The Knicks had trouble finding enough basketballs for Melo and STAT before they both were sidelined and now they have to deal with finding Lin opportunities as well. Bringing on J.R. Smith makes that ten times more difficult.

Coach D'Antoni and the Knicks believe they are starved for a shooting guard despite the improved play of Landry Fields since Lin's emergence. While he's hardly as consistent as some would like, he doesn't demand opportunities, although he has been making the most of them recently. 

J.R. Smith is the exact opposite; when he sees the basketball, he shoots it.

The Knicks don't need a black hole in this offense. While Carmelo scoffs at the notion of being a selfish player, he does play a particular isolation brand of basketball that doesn't include many other players.

Even if he does adapt to the new brand of basketball being played in New York, adding J.R. Smith to the mix is only going to make things worse.

The Knicks got supremely lucky that they found, kept and gave Jeremy Lin a chance to play for this team. They could severely screw it up by adding J.R. Smith to the mix.