New York Knicks head coach Mike Woodson tells J.R. Smith to get used to sitting out

While the New York Knicks try to turn their season around and fight for a playoff spot, the drama surrounding J.R. Smith won’t go away. After getting fined by the NBA and benched by the Knicks, there was hope that Smith might start to see consistent action in order to redeem himself or at the very least raise his trade value.

But Knicks head coach Mike Woodson isn’t going to play Smith just because he wants to play, as he told Al Iannazzone of Newsday that if Smith doesn’t get with the program, he can get used to sitting on the bench.

"“Put it this way, he’s going to have to be with it if he’s going to want to be a part of it,” Woodson said. “As a coach, it’s my job to make sure that that happens. … I expect J.R. to be a pro and concentrate on playing basketball. It’s a privilege to play in this league. You got to do all the necessary things, the right things on and off the court.”"

Woodson has actually been helped by the Smith situation, as it has taken all of the attention off of his job security for the time being. New York wants to trade Smith, but as long as he’s sitting on the bench, his trade value isn’t going to go anywhere.