JR Smith Benched for Game 5 of Spurs/Nuggets

[stuart]

From ESPN: link

Karl: Smith's decisions in playoffs led to benching
Denver Nuggets coach George Karl has had enough of J.R. Smith's postseason mistakes.

"He's done," Karl told The Denver Post.

Following Tuesday's video session, Karl told reporters that Smith was being benched for Game 5 in San Antonio. The Nuggets trail the Spurs 3-1 in the series following Monday night's 96-89 loss in Denver.

According to the newspaper, Smith's mistakes throughout the series have bothered Karl, leading to his decision to bench him for Game 5. Karl seemed preturbed by Smith's 3-pointer with 25.7 seconds left in Game 4 on Monday night with Denver trailing 93-89.

"I have no idea what planet that came from," Karl told The Associated Press. Karl said he had drawn up a play to get the ball to Iverson or Anthony.

"And then, of course the one with eight seconds to go, from 50 feet," Karl said. "I just love the dignity of the game being insulted right in front of me."

Karl said some of Smith's minutes could go to Linas Kleiza, and Karl said Yakhouba Diawara or newcomer Anthony Carter might get their first action of the postseason Wednesday night.

Karl did not address Smith about the benching by the time he met with reporters on noon Tuesday.

Smith played well in the regular season, averaging career-bests in points (13.0) and 3-point percentage (39.0 pct) while hitting a career-high 149 3-pointers. However, he has struggled throughout the playoffs against the Spurs, going 0-for-12 from long range. Karl had stuck with him despite his poor performance in Game 3, which included a flagrant foul and a bad inbounds pass that Robert Horry stole before burying a 3-pointer.

"He's a good-bad player," Karl told The Associated Press. "You evaluate his good, you evaluate his bad. He had good plays in Game 3 and he had good plays in Game 4. But you've just got to be mentally more secure and tougher than he showed in Game 4."

Smith is averaging 4.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per game during the series.

[stuart]

Ugh, I just typed out a whole page of stuff... I wouldn't normally post this stuff in our forum, but I have been chomping at the bit to mention Smith's indescretions since watching game three of the Spurs-Nuggets series... anyways, I basically said something like this:

going 0-for-12 from long range. Karl had stuck with him despite his poor performance in Game 3, which included a flagrant foul and a bad inbounds pass that Robert Horry stole before burying a 3-pointer.

In addition to a turnover sandwiched in the series of events. Then, apparently bucking Karl and doing his own thing. It's no wonder Charlotte couldn't wait to get rid of him.

Stuart

[stuart]

Who Shot Denver? JR did.

Found another article basically dealing with what I was trying to articulate, from the Denver Post: link

Who Shot Denver. J.R. Smith.
Allen Iverson had tied the score at 64, and the largest frothing basketball crowd in Denver basketball history braced for a fast, furious, frenzied, fantastic finish - maybe a winning shot at the buzzer or an overtime victory.

Phooey.

That's when J.R. Smith entered stage left. Too bad he didn't exit stage right immediately.

The Spurs were as thrilled to see Smith as kids are to taste cotton candy.
Cotton candy would be more effective on defense.

By the time Smith's awful inbound pass was stolen by Robert Horry, who made a three-pointer, and Smith stole the ball and ludicrously didn't pass off to Iverson on the wing for an easy shot and had his own rejected by Horry, and Smith knocked down Iverson and fell over him, leaving the Spurs with an open three-point shot at the other end, and after Smith made a three-point play, but then missed a three-pointer and committed a flagrant foul at the other end on Ginobili, the Nuggets were down 77-67, and the foamy crowd became a fuming crowd.

The game was over. The series probably is over.

Same old same old.

"It's frustrating," Smith said. "We're losing games we should win."

Maybe if coach George Karl didn't play Smith, they would win games they should win.

Sure, there may be a multitude of reasons why the Nuggets' "must win" turned into "musty loss."

But every list of reasons would be headed by J.R.
And it's not just me claiming it.

"That foul, the J.R. foul, we gave up four points on that play right there. We had to fight ever since. I think that was the turning point of the game," Carmelo Anthony said.

Karl said point blank: "J.R. had a big turnover which I think kind of shook us up."

I guess so. They Nuggets were in shock while J.R. tried to win the game by himself, but seemed to lose it by himself.

Smith's pass to Horry was the best assist the Spurs had all night. Smith should stick to garbage time because he played like rubbish.

If you can't help the Nuggets, J.R., don't hurt them. Linas Kleiza had 13 zeroes in his box score line Saturday, and he contributed more than Smith.

Smith always seems to be talking big, but he has come up small in the playoffs.

The Nuggets may be younger and more athletic overall and as talented as the Spurs, but the Spurs are more experienced in the playoffs, wiser in these games and better from the three-point arc and stronger from the bench.

"I feel this is a loss we can build on," Karl said. The Nuggets lead in moral victories, 2-0, but it's not a best-of-moral-victories series, and moral victories are for satisfied losers.

Karl said the Nuggets had a great shoot-around Saturday morning. The Nuggets also lead the series in shoot-arounds, but trail where it counts, 2-1.

The NBA sent its powerful-and-remarkable commissioner, David Stern, to Game 3, but also, oddly, sent three weak and indecisive officials who looked like they were working their first game ever. When they weren't busy calling a technical foul on Karl for leaving the coaching box - a penalty levied about once a millennium in the NBA - they were whistling three defensive three-second technicals. The San Antonio-Denver game obviously wasn't important enough to the NBA to provide one lead referee. Where's Joey Crawford when you need him?

The officials didn't beat the Nuggets. S&S (Spurs and Smith) combined to beat the Nuggets.

The Spurs would pass the ball inside to Tim Duncan; the Nuggets would converge, and Duncan would pass outside to Horry, Ginobili, Michael Finley and Tony Parker.

The foursome made 9 of 21 three-point attempts - 42.9 percent, which, interestingly, was the Nuggets' percentage for layups and other common shots.

Smith, meanwhile, was 0 for 3 from beyond the three-point arc.

The Nuggets should have placed themselves in a position to win before Smith put them in a position to lose (when the Spurs had three of their starters on the bench).

[T.W.Is.M.]

come on!don't b so cruel on him!the columnists wrote it all:Horry stole the ball, Horry sank a 3p, Horry blocked his shot!come on, it's the playoffs what do u all expect this guy(especially him) 2 do?sit and watch the opponents win?He turned around the series and he will probably do the same things in the next rounds against Boris Diaw, against Howard(not sure yet if it will b Juwan or Josh) and against Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace!Smith was just unlucky 2 b in his way

P.S.I'm sure that during the regular season Horry sits on the bench and laughs watching his teammates trying 2 win meaningless games!He probably thinks:"play as much as u can now and when the going gets tough and the serious matches start Big Shot Rob will come again 2 save the day"

[mavs128]

come on!don't b so cruel on him!the columnists wrote it all:Horry stole the ball, Horry sank a 3p, Horry blocked his shot!come on, it's the playoffs what do u all expect this guy(especially him) 2 do?sit and watch the opponents win?He turned around the series and he will probably do the same things in the next rounds against Boris Diaw, against Howard(not sure yet if it will b Juwan or Josh) and against Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace!Smith was just unlucky 2 b in his way

P.S.I'm sure that during the regular season Horry sits on the bench and laughs watching his teammates trying 2 win meaningless games!He probably thinks:"play as much as u can now and when the going gets tough and the serious matches start Big Shot Rob will come again 2 save the day"

eh, big shot bob is done. He has a couple of good games left in him, but overall he's just not helping his team win on a consistent basis anymore.

[T.W.Is.M.]

eh, big shot bob is done. He has a couple of good games left in him, but overall he's just not helping his team win on a consistent basis anymore.

well, he plays in the same team as Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen...they don't need a couple of big games, they need a couple of clutch shots in every series 2 b champions again!that's his role now.I thought he was done last year but he proves me wrong in the series vs Denver.