Phil Jackson: J.R. Smith exhibited 'delinquent behavior' with Knicks

In Charley Rosen's latest ESPN piece in a series about the 2014-15 New York Knicks season, team president Phil Jackson spoke candidly about what was going wrong with the team early in the year. Here's an excerpt on J.R. Smith, whose Knicks tenure ended in early January with a trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers:

"J.R. had been exhibiting some delinquent behavior and had gotten into the habit of coming late to team meetings, or missing them altogether," Jackson says. "Also, Shump and Tim [Hardaway Jr.] were regressing, so I decided to meet with them separately and try to find out what, if anything, was bothering them."

Smith was first on the list. "We talked about his statement to the press that our shooting guard depth was going to be the team's asset, but so far it hadn't worked out that way," Jackson says. "He was supposed to carry the scoring load for the second unit and he wasn't doing the job. I also said that because of his unacceptable behavior, he had two strikes against him with this team. He didn't really respond. He's a very sensitive guy, with his big doe eyes. He looked like he was going to tear up. But he finally responded that he was going through some issues with his gal."

Also of note: Jackson said that head coach Derek Fisher had told him that Smith "always walked around under a dark cloud." Iman Shumpert's big personality was an issue in the locker room, according to Jackson, and Samuel Dalembert apparently fell asleep in the locker room pregame. His conversation with Rosen took place on Jan. 10, just a few days after New York cut ties with Smith, Shumpert and Dalembert, who was waived.

"Delinquent behavior," though? Wow. It's not often you hear an executive use that kind of term so openly, but Jackson is not your average executive. To Smith's credit, he seemed to turn things around with the Cavaliers before his disappointing NBA Finals performance.

It's not great for this kind of thing to come out while Smith remains unsigned. He and Cleveland are reportedly in limbo, with the team wanting him to bring him back on a cheapo one-year deal.

http://mweb.cbssports.com/nba/eye-o...ith-exhibited-delinquent-behavior-with-knicks

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And that's why he's still a FA and will probably have to sign for the minimum.

Karma.

Phil Opens up on why he jettisoned the Shump-Smith SG duo

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports....-trade/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Phil Jackson says J.R. Smith displayed “delinquent behavior” before trade

Kurt Helin
Jul 20, 2015, 2:38 PM EDT



Phil Jackson speaks with a purpose and for effect. He doesn’t say things that will be published without having some motive.


Which is why what he told his old friend Charlie Rosen about the big mid-season trade in New York — which sent J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to Cleveland for non-guaranteed contracts — was so interesting. Jackson tries to make himself look better, like the adult cleaning up the mess at the children’s table.


It’s about as direct and blunt as you will ever hear someone if a front office speak about a player on the record.

Jackson didn’t hold back talking about Smith and Shumpert in the piece posted on ESPN.

Jackson goes on to say coach Derek Fisher thought Smith walked around like there was a dark cloud over his head, and that Shumpert’s ego was a problem in the locker room.


Whether you want to say it was the negative impacts on their game in New York — Smith was known to enjoy the New York nightlife — or the positive ones of LeBron James in Cleveland, both Shumpert and Smith played a lot better after the move.


Smith saw more minutes, and his true shooting percentage jumped from a below average 48.7 percent to and above average 56.6 percent (boosted by him shooting 39 percent from three in Cleveland). Smith’s PER jumped from 11.5 to 14.5 (which is still slightly below the league average).


Smith also had some delinquent behavior on the court during the playoffs, which led to him being suspended for the first two games of the NBA Finals. Smith opted out of his contract and is still hanging out there as a free agent, likely about to take a pay cut, although the Cavaliers seem the most likely to retain him.



Shumpert played fewer minutes and took fewer shots in Cleveland, but he saw his true shooting percentage jump up to 50.8 percent. More importantly, his defense was a key part of the grit and grind style the Cavaliers had to evolve towards during the playoffs due to injuries.

The Cavaliers re-signed Shumpert to a four-year, $40 million deal and he is likely the starting two guard for the Cavaliers when next season tips off.

Two thoughts on this. One - this all sound about right in regards to JR and Shump's respective issues. Two - why bury these guys in the media now that they are long gone and distant memories from this team? Seems unnecessary, even if it is accurate.

Knixy posted the same thread this morning. PJ has his guys so let's see if being a model citizen is a requirement in order to win.

I do know that Denver got a first rounder and 3 warm bodies for a multiple DUI offender who will probably serve a 5-10 game suspension next season so how come the Knicks couldn't get the same for 2 rotation players. I'm still not happy that they're gone.

htr10 said:

Two thoughts on this. One - this all sound about right in regards to JR and Shump's respective issues. Two - why bury these guys in the media now that they are long gone and distant memories from this team? Seems unnecessary, even if it is accurate.

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For Phil to approve this publishing... means he's salty as hell. Makes me dislike Phil more than I already do. So respectfully distasteful.

Phil looking a lot worse than J.R. and Shumpert here.

tiger0330 said:

Knixy posted the same thread this morning. PJ has his guys so let's see if being a model citizen is a requirement in order to win.

I do know that Denver got a first rounder and 3 warm bodies for a multiple DUI offender who will probably serve a 5-10 game suspension next season so how come the Knicks couldn't get the same for 2 rotation players. I'm still not happy that they're gone.

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And, to add to this truth, if JR and Shump let the team down so much... Why reward them and gift them to CLE, to ride the Lebron wave to nBA Finals. If you're not getting anything for them... Send them to Minny or just let them suffer on this team and lose some more... JR was gonna opt out no matter what... No need to throw Shump in to ensure JR was off books this year.

RunningJumper said:

Phil looking a lot worse than J.R. and Shumpert here.

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Probably J.R.'s agent as the source here since his client doesn't have a deal locked up yet. Boy this move was hella awful by Phil. Sorry no matter how much truth he's speaking on this, it's utterly atrocious to not filter before live publishing.

I have to say, this is pretty classless. It's probably all 100% true, but it seems pretty bush league to talk smack about players so soon after they leave your organization. If he said this like mid-season next year, it probably wouldn't be a big deal, but saying it immediately after the season, especially a season where you win 17 games, seems to be kind of a dick move

JR probably tried to give the pipe to jennie buss

SSj4Wingzero said:

I have to say, this is pretty classless. It's probably all 100% true, but it seems pretty bush league to talk smack about players so soon after they leave your organization. If he said this like mid-season next year, it probably wouldn't be a big deal, but saying it immediately after the season, especially a season where you win 17 games, seems to be kind of a dick move

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I normally agree in most cases it's a classless move but JR deserves it. This team gave him a lot of money and every chance to prove himself and earn it and he **** the bed. It's one thing to play poorly or go through shooting slumps but this clown admitted he partied too much and wasn't in the best shape to play well. Add all Instagram garbage he posted after the trade. So an eye for an eye.

And Phil didn't say anything negative about Shumpert. Just that he regressed. Which is true.

Knixy said:

I normally agree in most cases it's a classless move but JR deserves it. This team gave him a lot of money and every chance to prove himself and earn it and he **** the bed. It's one thing to play poorly or go through shooting slumps but this clown admitted he partied too much and wasn't in the best shape to play well. Add all Instagram garbage he posted after the trade. So an eye for an eye.

And Phil didn't say anything negative about Shumpert. Just that he regressed. Which is true.

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He said Shump was a "big personality" that guys found hard to deal with. Maybe that means Shump was loud which is no reason to trade him for nothing.

Ironic thing is Kobe is the biggest a-hole of all, Jordan Hill said he's hard to deal with, yet Phil had no problem with him.

tiger0330 said:

He said Shump was a "big personality" that guys found hard to deal with. Maybe that means Shump was loud which is no reason to trade him for nothing.

Ironic thing is Kobe is the biggest a-hole of all, Jordan Hill said he's hard to deal with, yet Phil had no problem with him.

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Phil did call Kobe uncoachable at one point.

SSj4Wingzero said:

I have to say, this is pretty classless. It's probably all 100% true, but it seems pretty bush league to talk smack about players so soon after they leave your organization. If he said this like mid-season next year, it probably wouldn't be a big deal, but saying it immediately after the season, especially a season where you win 17 games, seems to be kind of a dick move

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There's a saying: judge not the thought, but the action.

The article extracting newsworthy tidbits from the ESPN piece omits an important slice of pertinent info:

"Jackson saw no other way. He had to make a deal.


"We made the trade to Cleveland because that was the best place to get J.R. and Shump playing ball the right way. The money that comes back to our cap situation is the benefit of these trades. We need to get out from under our obligations of contracts."

The point is… if the comments are taken out of context, Phil definitely seems classless and petty.

However, in truth, and based on his actual actions, the truth is much more revealing.

Phil was having dinner with a friend, and the comments were made back in JAN. They were made public only recently. So, PHIL wasn’t admonishing his players thru the media (slapping them as they walked thru the door)… and… he wasn’t rehashing an old gripe, or looking back and taking a sucker punch at somebody.

This was real-time venting/explaining... motives behind a move that was happening in that moment.

Add to that, that JAX isn’t the normal guy when it comes to expressing himself,then the real picture takes shape. Is itTMI? Perhaps… should more tact have been exhibited? Who knows if he knew he was on the record.

But…what really went down here? JR was being unprofessional and Shump wasbeing disruptive and both were underwhelming on the court. Both players were given plenty of opportunities, under 2 different regimes. Phil, and it was his right, decided the team was better off w/out them (addition by subtraction). Did he proceed with venom? CERTINALY NOT… He put both in the best position possible for those 2… he did right by them. He sent them to CLE to play w/ LEBRON. Might be the best thing to happen to both players. Shump parlayed it into a 40 million, life-changing contract.

Maybe some prefer being lied to, get a smile and a glad-hand, while a grudge is harbored and be banished to SAC. I prefer brutal honesty and to have somebody sincerely consider my best interest.

I loathe it when some take something out of context and comment on it, and turn something into something it is not. A real hit piece. A lie can run halfway around the world b4 the truth puts on its shoes.

An agent may find an exec classless for speaking their minds, but I find it disgracefulfor player to stal millions and ac unprofessionally. The comments were made 7 months ago, and Phil ultimately put both disgruntled players in the best position to succeed moving fwd into their new futures. How is that classless?

Knixy said:

I normally agree in most cases it's a classless move but JR deserves it. This team gave him a lot of money and every chance to prove himself and earn it and he **** the bed. It's one thing to play poorly or go through shooting slumps but this clown admitted he partied too much and wasn't in the best shape to play well. Add all Instagram garbage he posted after the trade. So an eye for an eye.

And Phil didn't say anything negative about Shumpert. Just that he regressed. Which is true.

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You probably were one of the ones with poms-poms out when J.R. became a free agent the first time with us hoping we'd resign him to get pts on the scoreboard during that offseason of moves!

There's nothing to speak on saying J.R. deserved this. Anyone with a brain knew we should have never picked him up in the first place, from China..... But so many fans duped themselves into thinking he'd turn a new leaf with us


- Getting behind his meaningless 6MOY award

- Speaking on how Mike Woodson was his George Michael post Wham "Father Figure"

- How he and Melo were good for and could feed off each other

- Posting crap gifs of his rock and roll hallejuah ahhhhhummmm moments at The Garden


Like DNA's slogan #GTFO with the "J.R. deserves this" piece to be published on him. Phil didn't say anything more damning than Wojo's piece about a 1-2yr ago. Remember this?

http://www.sportsgrid.com/nba/adrian-woj-brutal-takedown-of-jr-smith/ Detailed Info On The Character Of Earl

If Phil was so on his Zen game he would have given J.R. the boot as quick as he did Tyson and either traded him for the same chitty next generation 2nd rd pick like he did with Cleveland or how about go SVG on him and eat his deal like a boss and stretch the payments.

Phil only aired what the whole world already knew.....J.R. is a Clown's Clown but Phil still runs a business of a major entity worth Billions with Millions of onlookers, therefore he needs to zip his trap when it comes to stuff like this. Or zip the traps of those who are trying to represent him(Charlie Rosen). Phil should have had the greater portion of the piece filtered or waited to publish in a book later on in life.

Not true Broadway. I didn't want to bring back JR after the Jason Terry suspension and how poorly he played in the Indiana series. I was never ever a fan.

But you're right. They have nobody to blame themselves for acquiring and putting up with JR. He's always been a trouble maker and an unprofessional player. He should have been the first player Phil traded out of here.

Given what JR Smith did to the Knicks last year, if I were Phil I wouldn't have killed him in the press, I would have taken out a real contract on him, at least for a finger.

Phil Jackson is FULL of it .. making this article in the offseason to help the Cleveland Cavs GM decide on what to do with JR.Smith and Shumpert. Sorry but Phil was way out of line in this article.
Its bad enough that both JR.Smith or Shumpert talent were/are above ex-Cavs SG-Waiters.
OKC gave the Cavs a first round pick for Waiters raw performance.


To speak about JR.Smith and Shumpert behavior when they are ex-Knicks during their FA offseason shows a classless Phil Jackson. All Phil did in the article to me was show how he support the Cavs as if he is getting a check from Lebron.
Plus Phil showed how ineffective Carmelo Anthony are as a team franchise leader, or did Phil forget JR.Smith has been teammates with Carmelo Anthony for 9 seasons (and the two players has no chemistry or leadership for their teammates) ???