J.R. Smith thinks J.R. Smith would be a great leader for the New York Knicks this season.
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At least, when he asked what his goal for the season was, that was what he said.
“Be a leader,” Smith said in an interview with ESPNNewYork.com on Thursday at his foundation’s annual golf fundraiser. “We’ve got so many younger guys around. A lot of the older guys left within the last two years. So be more of a leader and help out….
“Just ‘show instead of say’ and stuff like that,” Smith, speaking at his fundraiser for the J.R. Smith Youth Foundation at Eagle Ridge Golf Club, said when asked about his leadership approach. “‘Sheed [Rasheed Wallace], J Kidd [Jason Kidd] — those guys led by example and that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
He said this last year. He said he was becoming a leader. So why say it agin? Probably because he didn’t accomplish it last season. And it’s pretty questionable if he can accomplish it this year — or ever. But who knows, Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk has faith. “That is great to hear him say, it’s what he should do. I hope it works out for him,” Helin writes.
As far as the playoffs go, he agrees with Carmelo Anthony about the Knicks standing as a playoff team.
“Absolutely. We should be,” Smith said. “We should have been one last year. This year, definitely.”
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