From Marc Stein:
The New York Knicks are the presumptive favorites to sign free-agent swingman J.R. Smith when he returns from China later this week, but Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul likes his team’s chances of convincing Smith to take less money to sign with it.
“I think our chances are very high,” Paul said Monday night after the Clippers’ 96-92 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
Smith recently announced via his Twitter feed that he expects to be back in the States by Wednesday. Although the Knicks can offer a prorated share of the $2.5 million mini-midlevel exception for the rest of the season, whereas L.A. can’t pay more than the veteran minimum, Paul believes the presence of three of Smith’s former teammates on the Clippers’ roster and the minutes and shots opened up by the season-ending Achilles injury suffered by Chauncey Billups will be strong lures.
“Who knows J.R. better than me?” Paul said of Smith, his teammate for two seasons with the Hornets.
Referring to Kenyon Martin and Billups, both of whom played with Smith in Denver, Paul attributes his optimism to “my relationship with J.R., Kenyon’s relationship with him and Chauncey’s relationship with him.”
“Also he knows he’ll have the opportunity to play here,” Paul said. “He can only make us better.”
66 Responses
This team will be ridiculously fun to watch with J.R. Smith
Posted on February 14th, 2012 at 4:15 pm
I, for one, don’t believe it.
You CANNOT preach chemistry and character and the “San Antionio” mold for your franchise ….. and then sign J.R. Smith.
phil Reply:
February 14th, 2012 at 4:21 pm
preach winning and sign smith!
Metal Matty Reply:
February 14th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
Sounds pretty good. Of course, J.R. has never been about winning.
JaySee Reply:
February 14th, 2012 at 5:18 pm
Even if he’s about stat stuffing, he won’t find a better spot than starting for the Clippers and CP3 feeding him the ball. He can do his 1 year, bring up his value and move on.
bongstradamus Reply:
February 14th, 2012 at 9:00 pm
Yea, it isnt a bad rental. We certainly wouldnt be signing him long term for the money he wants, but he could definitely provide some punch at the 2 for the rest of this season. Never a bad idea to bring extra firepower to a gunfight.
jigsaw Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 4:33 pm
i’m w/M.M. on this debate. JR.Smitty, albeit a guy who can shoot the lights out on any given day, is inconsistent, not the best defender, and tends to put up everything that gets passed to him. Then you mention starting. That right then and there will add nothing more than fuel to Mo Williams’ burning unhappiness with with his position and status.
JaySee Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 6:57 pm
Unless Mo magically grows at least 4 inches and gets the wingspan of an albatross, he’s not going to start on ANY NBA’s team as a 2.
matt nespoli Reply:
February 14th, 2012 at 5:36 pm
i agree matt. unfortunately, the league, much like the world, is full of hypocrites.
phil Reply:
February 14th, 2012 at 10:46 pm
what is so hypocritical? what are they preaching chemistry and character to achieve? WINNING. it’s all about winning. so if they have to preach a little differently to get to the result of winning then so be it. besides, even if J.R. Smith has never been about winning this team is and w CP3 he’ll follow lead.
Posted on February 14th, 2012 at 4:20 pm
Here’s the last paragraph of the Stein article:
“If the Knicks win out, it’s believed that the Clippers will try to capitalize on their two trade exceptions created in the blockbuster deal in December that brought them Paul to acquire another shooting guard or small forward. The exceptions are valued at just less than $4 million and $3 million respectively. Shelburne reported Sunday that the Clippers, in that scenario, would likely wait until after March 1 to *actively pursue trades, when more than 100 players who signed new contracts in December become eligible to be traded*.”
It’s good that the Clippers will actively pursue trades in March after players who signed new contracts become eligible to be traded. But the main reason that is good is it could mean they’re going to trade DeAndre Jordan.
Clips4 Reply:
February 14th, 2012 at 5:30 pm
You know full well like everyone else that DJ is not getting moved. Everyone knows that the main weakness of the team is the wing defender. We keep getting killed on dribble penetration from wing players which is what is drawing DJ off of his man to try to stop or alter the shot from the wing player slashing in. Ultimately, that opens up the man that DJ is guarding because we got burned badly on the perimeter by the slasher and that’s why opposing centers are having a field day against DJ. Think, dude. DJ is not our weakest link. The responsibility and blame goes to the team as a whole. VDN’s suspect coaching has to take the blame and responsibility as well.
dont feed the trolls Reply:
February 14th, 2012 at 8:58 pm
see the name
Posted on February 14th, 2012 at 4:46 pm
And of course there is demotedeandre with his rediculous coments. Stop hating!
dont feed the trolls Reply:
February 14th, 2012 at 8:59 pm
and maybe they will go away
Posted on February 14th, 2012 at 4:54 pm
It has to be clear to everyone by now that DeAndre Jordan is not capable of being a legitimate starting center and he’s not even capable of playing adequately against others who are and that those others will routinely destroy him, on defense and on offense.
So, what to do?
If the Clippers don’t trade him and instead get stuck with his cap eating $10-11 million salary for this and the next three years, then matching that Golden State offer sheet will be a disaster for the team, much like signing Baron Davis was. As it is, they sure saved Golden State from a disaster.
The best thing is to trade Jordan for Howard between March 12 and March 15. The next best thing is for Howard to become a free agent in the summer and the Clippers sign him and do a sign and trade that sends Jordan to Orlando.
But what if Howard gets traded to somebody else like the Nets and signs long term with them (as many think he will do)? Then what are the Clippers going to do?
They certainly have to get another center who at teast can play at an adequate level against other legitmate NBA centers. With Jordan at starting center, they’re not getting out of the first round.
They could get Kaman, but I doubt Kaman would come back. I expect he’ll either go to Miami of Dallas.
Who else is there? Not much of anyone. Should have kept Kaman while they had him.
If the Clippers lose out on Howard and can’t get another legitimate center and get stuck with Jordan and his cap-eating contract, then Neil Olshey should be fired.
Posted on February 14th, 2012 at 5:09 pm
Jordan and Griffin for Howard and Anderson…
Clippers would have the best center in the NBA plus a stretch four (a weapon Chris Paul hasn’t had yet), plus they would have two bruisers in Martin and Evans to bring off the bench to provide some physicality.
Clips4 Reply:
February 14th, 2012 at 5:32 pm
As great a player as D12 is right now and he is better than Blake right now, I think Blake’s ceiling is higher than Dwight’s. DJ is also young too so he has time to develop some form of an offensive post game. We have to give him the offseason this year to work on it. The lockout last year was hard because DJ couldn’t work with team coaches.
bongstradamus Reply:
February 14th, 2012 at 9:24 pm
You dont trade a guy like Blake. Even for Dwight.
DJ is 23. Keep his numbers in perspective. He only gets 5 shots a game, dont expect him to give you more than 10 points. This is just the beginning of his development and hes already blocking nearly 3 shots a game.
Posted on February 14th, 2012 at 5:23 pm
I hope signing JR Smith turns out to be like signing Caron Butler; apprehensive and ambivalent upon signing, promptly replaced with relief and supreme confidence in the player.
I saw two or three other free agent SFs I would have preferred to Caron before but I’m more than happy with Tuff Juice now. He’s been great. Hopefully, if Clips get JR the same thing can happen.
(My secret dream would be Prince asks out of that abomination of a team in Detroit and Billups campaigns for Clips. Prince traded for Gomes, Cook and a 2nd rounder. Realistic but also a dream.)
griffin Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 3:14 pm
No just a dream not realistic. Prince chose to be there
Posted on February 14th, 2012 at 8:28 pm
Now that I think about it, he isn’t a bad option for the rest of the season. Do I worry about his stability? Yes. But he wont be here long term with the money available around the league.
As long as CP, K-Mart and Chauncey can keep him composed I dont mind the risk.
WC Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 6:55 am
I too am apprehensive about signing J.R. But I have to agree with you and really HOPE that Chauncey, Chris and Kenyon keep him under control. I wonder what Mo thinks about the whole J.R. scenario.
jigsaw Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 4:36 pm
MO’s feelings would be summed up in 3 words: insult upon injury
bongstradamus Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 6:17 pm
Mo is most likely moving. He’s got 1 more year on his deal, is a perfect contract salary-wise to make a move and we have Bledsoe needing burn. If we keep Mo, we let Bledsoe rot on the bench. So I’m thinking given our depth, we are going to let Bledsoe go if it means a move into a solid wing.
I’m just as nervous about JR, but given he most likely wont be re-signing here in the off-season, it’s not a terrible risk.
bongstradamus Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 6:18 pm
Grr…i meant let Mo go, not Bledsoe. We paid a price to get him and we refused to move him in the CP deal. That makes me think he’s more important to the big picture.
Posted on February 14th, 2012 at 9:03 pm
Bring him on. If he nuts out, which probably won’t happen with the team we have here, cut him loose. With or without him, we’re a pretty good team and getting better with time. I wouldn’t even consider trading Blake Griffin or DeAndre Jordan. These 2 kids are the long term future. They’re only going to get better. Big men usually take 4 to 5 years to reach a peak. Jordan is in his 3rd and progressing ahead of expectations imo and Blake is a rare cat. The league has adjusted to him and he’s still tearing teams up. By next year he will have adjusted to their adjustments and his game will jump up to a whole new level. By then he’ll be shooting 72 to 75% from the free throw line and taking his 17 footer when he receives the pass instead of hesitating. His post game is already showing signs of brilliance and when he’ll be making his moves from there without hesitation. Without trying, his scoring average will go up to 25 per game. Deandre will be averaging 10 and 10 with 3+ blocks per game. I love these guys. I would never trade Blake Griffin or Deandre Jordan, ever! We’ve lost for so long that now that we have a good team, enjoy it. We’re going to the finals this year.
Posted on February 14th, 2012 at 9:57 pm
btw, Demote is a moron.
dont feed the trolls Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 12:57 am
^^^
Posted on February 14th, 2012 at 9:59 pm
I say go for it. JR Smith seemed crazy, but also crazy skilled (did anyone else see his highlights from last year?); being on a hungry, competitive team might focus him for the better. I don’t see how it could happen that he would be willing to take the veteran’s minimum, given his skill level, but I do think it could make our team much stronger.
I still miss Aminu and Kaman. Aminu because I thought his ceiling was high and his intangibles gave him the potential to become a key glue guy later in his career. Kaman because he was so goofy and yet finesse and would have been the perfect backup center.
But Chris Paul is making unseen things happen. Who knows what more might fall into place with him on the team?
Posted on February 14th, 2012 at 11:55 pm
I too am apprehensive about signing J.R. I really HOPE that Chauncey, Chris and Kenyon keep him under control. I wonder what Mo thinks about the whole J.R. scenario.
Posted on February 15th, 2012 at 6:56 am
If Chris Paul wants him, thats a good enough endorsement for me. Who the heck am I to judge someone I’ve never laced ‘um up with? I’ve never been in a locker room wtih JR. Why are so many other teams interested in JR, and who am I to be apprehensive? The Lakers, Knicks, Wolves, Pacers, and Heat aren’t apprehensive. Who cares what happened in Denver, New Orleans, or China? ( I heard the man put up 60 some odd points over there, but who cares?) I’ll save my judgement for once this guy puts on a Clipper uni, and I will hold CP3 accountable for JR if need be. The way CP carries himself, I’d say thats one hell of a sheriff in town policing up the attitude on this team. Apprehension? What is this!
Lin Leebow Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 9:48 am
Exactly! This is one of the best comments I’ve seen on clipperblog. EVER.
Posted on February 15th, 2012 at 8:02 am
Did JR put on a dress at a book signing, or dye his hair a different color every night like the Worm? Did he choke his coach like Spreewell, or get caught up in that street brawl like Ron-Ron/ Metta WP? Did JR pull a gun on a team mate in the locker room after a game like Arenas? Did he go into the stands, when a fan said something about his momma? Did he do drugs like Lamar? Did he get caught up in a rape trial like a certain employee #24? Just what did JR do that has everyone so apprehensive? Come on!
Lin Leebow Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 9:56 am
CP3′s exact words were, “Who knows J.R. better than me?”
The answer is, nobody. If you say that you are apprehensive or concerned or skeptical about J.R. Smith’s attitude, then you are basically saying that you know him better than Chris Paul does. And this is just plain silly.
Posted on February 15th, 2012 at 8:09 am
Clippers might have gotten a break with the Blazers on Thursday, Aldrigde has an ankle problem. Also the third game in three nights.
Tim Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
The same way we caught a break vs the Cavs when Kyrie Irving didn’t play? We need to approach Portland with a sense of urgency, or we lose. There is no break any time we play the Trail-gangsta’s, especially at the Rose Garden. Aldridge is capable of rubbing some mud or spit on that ankle, and throwing down 40, if we’re not careful. Go Clips!
Lin Leebow Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 12:50 pm
I would like to nominate Tim to be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Posted on February 15th, 2012 at 10:38 am
random point…
1st few weeks all about CLIPS
NOW all about New York Knicks and LIN
I like going under the radar! This will help the clips in the long run!
WC Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 11:38 am
I thought the exact same thing this morning.
Lin Leebow Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 11:50 am
100% AGREED
Posted on February 15th, 2012 at 10:48 am
Interesting how so many people so desperately want to delude themselves about DeAndre Jordan.
He is no offensive threat what so ever unless he has a wide open dunk, and he is an offensive bonanza for every opposing center he plays against. He is never going to improve in any significant way. He’s basically like he was when he came out of high school, and that’s the way he’s going to remain. The delusion that all he has to do is practice for awhile and he’ll get better is a pitiful pipe dream. All he can do is stand tall and jump high and run fast (which is irrelevant for an NBA center). He can’t shoot and he can’t defend (which is very relevant).
Why on Earth does anybody think he’ll suddenly improve? On what grounds?
Brendon Haywood torched him last game, and it’s widely expected that Dallas will amnesty Haywood next year if they can get some other center in free agency. That’s the quality of player who torches Jordan . . . one who is going to get amnestied.
Jordan has to be traded, preferably for Howard. Otherwise Neal Olshey should be fired for being suckered into such an obviously disastrous signing.
FD Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
VDN also seems to agree and it looks like DeAndre has been demoted. 20 min a game which is about right for him. I think it will be very hard to trade him now though.
bongstradamus Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 2:32 pm
He’s 23 and twice the player Kaman ever was. He only gets 5 shots a game, so to complain about his lack of offense just shows how retarded you are.
He CAN defend. 2.6 Blocks and 8.8 rebounds a game prove that. Defense is only as good as the weakest link on the team and we have a lot of weak defensive links.
You’re the one with a pipedream of trading Bledsoe and DJ for D-12. ITS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. DJ may get traded, eventually, because all players have to live with that in this business. But it wont be for Dwight.
Shaq didnt hold people scoreless. Dwight doesnt hold people scoreless. DJ also doesnt hold people scoreless. Last year you didnt even know who Chauncey Billups was, let alone capable of spelling his name correctly during your rants against Baron Davis, this year you bitched about signing him. Back then you had no idea what to look for in a point guard, and now you have no idea what to look for in a center.
I commend your consistency. Its really hard to be so colossally stupid, consistently, when everyone just tunes you out, thumbs you down and wants you to shut up. Go to the Hornets board…try to convince them that your lover Chris Kaman is worth keeping. Its probably a better use of your time.
jigsaw Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 5:13 pm
I’m sorry…but even though I cant agree w/Demote & anything he says, I don’t know if Kaman bashing is the answer either. 2 seasons ago he deserved to be an ALL-STAR. Last year after missing half a season, he jumped in the Clipper saddle and came close to averaging double-double stats. Chris displays what many centers out there still need; great footwork, fluid back to the basket game, mid-range, and when inside, the ability to be ambidextrous. Plus, you don’t hold your breath when he’s @ the charity stripe. The reason why the Clipps went w/DJ over Chris was simply because you run the offense through Griffin, while DJ takes a back seat to Griffin dominance in the paint. This compliments the low-post combo that the Clipps currently have. He’s a high fly put-back/dunk/deny pogo stick, ala poor man’s J. NOAH from the BULLS. All in all Kaman, was trooper, and should get mad love from the clippernation.
bongstradamus Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 6:34 pm
I’ve always hated Kaman. Guy was a space cadet that folded in a double team, consistently turned the ball over and always hesitated on the catch.
He also cost $12M a year and never played a full season. The only reason he was an All-Star was because we fed him 20 shots a game, Yao was injured and Shaq was barely able to play 20 mins a game. He got in as a reserve because he was, frankly, the last 7 footer standing. He averaged a double double once, as the focus of our offense.
His scouting report makes him sound like God’s Gift to 7 footers but he lost us more games through repeated stupidity and giving possessions to the other team than he ever won on good free throws. He also demanded touches. And you are right, he got moved because there were no touches for him with Blake playing the 4. He also was “strange”, “weird” and “off” in the locker room according to some former players.
Theres a reason NO sent him home and said “dont call us, we’ll call you”. Kaman is a liability on the court. He’s really better suited to being a solid backup where you can control how he impacts a game and minimize the damage with the turnovers and allow him to play against a mismatch.
Did you really call him a “high fly put back/dunk” guy? I think I saw Kamans second career dunk in the NBA last week when he got called back in order to prop his trade value. He was notorious for shooting the jumper from 2 feet away and rebounding with one hand when he was here. Sure, he had a pretty little hook and spin move, but his shooting average was under 50% and he was literally 5 feet from the basket. His pump fakes looked like epileptic seizures. I was never a fan, and sure there were some occasional flashes of greatness but they were few and far between. Most of the time he played unfocused and scattered. He couldnt be relied on with the game on the line and his effort and conditioning were suspect.
WC Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 2:35 pm
Seriously Dude, you might want to see a shrink….
Clips4 Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 2:42 pm
DeMote, tell everyone in the NBA how bad Olshey is for not trading DJ by the trade deadline and they’ll look at you like you’re crack and still hand the Executive of the Year award to Olshey. Tell every NBA coach, player, and scout how bad of a player DJ is and they’ll look at you like you’re smoking crack. There’s a reason why every NBA team wanted DJ this past offseason and why every NBA scout and coach is making more money than most of us can even fathom. Like I said before, out weakest link is stopping dribble penetration. If we had someone to stop that, then DJ would not have to play off his man to come be the last line of defense all the time. DJ has things Kaman never has had and never will: health, athleticism, and a good motor. DJ has missed very few games in his career. DJ has amazing athleticism at finishing at the rim. DJ, after receiving his new contract, has gone out and performed with leading the league in blocked shots and playing solid team defense and energizing the team with his dunks. Kaman, if you remember after he received his contract after the 2006 season, came into training camp out of shape and did not put up the numbers he did that year for 3 years save for his 2010 all-star campaign. Kaman kept getting hurt all those years. If we’re deluding ourselves, why will you not address the points that we have instead of holding onto your opinion as the big elephant in the room to dominate these threads?
dont feed the trolls Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 5:13 pm
please do not feed the trolls. thank you.
Posted on February 15th, 2012 at 1:11 pm
Leave it to that Loser to ruin a good thread, and we all know who I’m talking about. Go Clippers! Stay positive, stop the hate!
dont feed the trolls Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
just downvote them into oblivion and move on.
Posted on February 15th, 2012 at 1:32 pm
DeMote should have taken my advice and changed his name to SACK SMITH. Mike Smith is the exact failed experiement that actually deserves Crimelaw’s wrath.
dont feed the trolls Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
they live off of attention
Posted on February 15th, 2012 at 2:41 pm
FD stands for Fire Demote.
dont feed the trolls Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 5:15 pm
please read the signs.
Posted on February 15th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
Yes, I agree that DeAndre Jordan already has been effectively demoted by Del Negro, who recently has been playing him only about 20 minutes a game . . . including almost never at the end of the games. Yes, 20 minutes is about right for him, but the opposing starting center is still always torching him in the first quarter, and then the Clippers are usually dropping into a hole they have to dig out of . . . which they’re usually able to do with Jordan on the bench. But the playoffs will be different.
Yes, I agree it’s going to be hard to trade him because by now most teams must realize how bad he is. But I still think there’s a chance to trade him i a package for Howard. Howard can dictate who he gets traded to, and if he says he’s signing with the Clippers, then Orlando is going to have to make a deal with the Clippers, even if it’s a sign and trade in the summer. Jordan isn’t good, but he is big and so he can play better than some of the centers around, and so Orlando will take him so they won’t be left without any center at all.
ConcernedClip Reply:
February 16th, 2012 at 8:48 am
you my friend must not watch very mutch basketball. DJ is doing a great job protecting the rim for the clips actually averaging more blocks than howard this year. And the reason for his reduced minutes last couple games was foul trouble. which is caused by too much penetration given up by guards. don’t you find it funny that almost no one on earth agrees with you?
Posted on February 15th, 2012 at 3:48 pm
With changed culture comes changed expectations. We have no business losing this game tonight, PERIOD!
Metal Matty Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 4:27 pm
If they had gotten a bailout win in Dallas, I MIGHT be a little worried. But let’s get serious. Even an injury riddled Cleveland team is much better than the Wiz.
My only SLIGHT concern is that McGee switched medicines and supposedly was only breathing at 75% on the wrong meds.
Still, at this time I am giving the Clippers my vote of confidence that they are not going to screw up the Portland game by letting this one be close and having to play starters big minutes.
If I were Vinny, I would mix in the backups early as heck if the starters show they did not bring their A game.
Posted on February 15th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
to all virtual/fantasy league GMs:
JR Smitty is NOT THE ANSWER. Chances are the same cats that want him, never thought that Gordon was a problem too. They exhibit talented, yet selfish behavior, similar to a poor man’s Melo. Personal opinion is that they need to ignore the pressure of building Rome in day, and grabbing every FA that becomes available this year. I liked the K-Mart move. But the Clipps need to give time for Bledsoe to get healthy, and if Williams can stop crying like a baby and recognize that he’s en route to a 6th Man of the Year Award, he can contribute w/Bledsoe to make a really strong off the bench backcourt.
The McLocker Room Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 5:23 pm
I don’t recall anyone on here saying that JR Smith is the answer
bongstradamus Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 6:41 pm
Hes not the answer. Just not a bad solution to a problem.
Think of it like Friends with Benefits. Sure, youll hang out and date, but no way would you commit your life to that psycho.
Posted on February 15th, 2012 at 4:56 pm
I’ve see better officiating at the YMCA! These refs really suck ! Lol
Posted on February 15th, 2012 at 9:22 pm
Sorry hate to be negative. But it seems there is a double standard against BG because he’s so strong. Just like Shaq, the officials always seem to want to “even it out” by allowing major contact with no calls.
Posted on February 15th, 2012 at 11:57 pm
is demotedeandre the old baron davis guy?
Posted on February 16th, 2012 at 8:44 am
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