The New York Knicks have brought back Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith on a four-year, $24.5 million contract, according to reports.
Smith had the best season of his nine-year career in 2012-2013 in Gotham City, where he played 33.5 minutes a night, averaging 18.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Smith was second on the Knicks in scoring, but sometimes drew the ire of Knicks fans for his shot selection.
Smith averaged 15 shot attempts a night last season, connecting at a rate of 42 percent. He also launched 5.6 3-pointers a game, but made 1.9 on average, making him a 35 percent shooter from downtown.
Smith carried the Knicks offense at times in the regular season when Carmelo Anthony battled several minor injuries, but fell apart in the postseason after a hot start. His playoff demise came after Game 3 against the Boston Celtics, when a frustrated Smith clocked Celtics guard Jason Terry in the jaw with an elbow.
Smith was suspended for Game 4, then had a nightmarish 3-of-14 performance in Game 5, scoring 14 points on 21 percent shooting from the field. He failed to shoot above 39 percent in any of the eight games that followed his wayward elbow.
With Smith on board, the Knicks will return their top four scorers from last season, Anthony, Smith, Amar'e Stoudemire and Raymond Felton, and add power forward Andrea Bargnani, and Michigan rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. to the mix.
While Smith can be a selfish offensive player at times, launching low-percentage shots as opposed to driving the lane or passing to a teammate with a better look, when he is on few scorers in the league can match him.
Smith scored 35 or more three times, and hit the 30-point mark seven times. Also, his 2.7 assists per game, while not a particularly high number, represented the second-best mark of his career in that category.
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