Now that J.R. Smith is becoming a borderline star shooting guard (18 PPG)... what do you think? Do you think he will keep this up? Or will he fall? I remember that one poll in the GARM thread "Which Player Would You Rather Have? - Snyder or Smith" that resulted in Kirk Snyder having more votes than Smith... what were you people thinking? He was drafted from High School, had tremendous athleticism, and had a decent shot. I knew Smith would've been the better pick and cannot believe the Rockets could have gotten him instead of Snyder (for an extra 2nd Rd Pick). Now that T-Mac is down, Kirk is out with a broken hand and Smith would've been great in his place.
it really depends on what game the rockets wants. JR can't finish except for using extrodinary dunks where there is no one around him (ie the dunk comp). He has respectable range though. Snyder is exactly the opposite of JR, finishes strong aroudn the basket, plays good D but inconsistent long range. I rather have snyder because JR wont be the typical JVG player
J.R. Smith has done some really bone-headed things this season that make me question whether he can be trusted as a starter. He's also demonstrated incredible shooting range on occasion. I want to see the entire season play out before deciding. I can see now why so many consider him very talented. The few times I saw him against us he showed very little but this is his breakout year. If he isn't a headcase, the Nuggets got a steal. But I wouldn't be surprised if he turns out to be a high-maintenance player for the rest of his career that may not be worth the trouble.
That's easy. We were thinking Snyder was the safer bet. Snyder had already beaten out JR Smith for his starting job in New Orleans. As for being drafted out of highschool, that gaurantees nothing. For every star who came straight out of highschool, there's been two or three who have failed to ever become anything. Even still, I think Snyder suits the Rockets needs better. I wasn't going to talk any "hindsight is 20/20" crap, but c'mon! Like the Rockets could foresee Snyder breaking his hand.
also you have to remeber that jr smith gets starter playing time and gets more touches then snyder. Last time i checked denver did not have dominant inside game since mutombo played for them in the 90s lol. Point is denver has a more guard domininated offence. If t-mac is still out by the time kirk comes back from his broken hand i think you will see close to the same lvl of production as jr smith. I think snyder has the abilty to be a great 2 guard playing along side yao.
I'm not sure I'd say he's a headcase, but he's definitley someone we have to keep an eye on. That said, EVERYONE is raving about him in Denver right now. He started off on a bad foot, but got it turned around and exploded. I doubt he'll stay at 18 ppg, but 15-16 is about where he should finish and with him we finally have someone who Melo can kick out to. The front office is VERY high on JR right now. He's the reason we're not entering the Iverson bidding.
With the Nuggets luck, Smith and Karl will have a major blowup later in the season because Smith won't respond to the mind games the way Karl wants him to. It hard not to be high on someone who just scored 27 points in the first half against the Heat. My hunch is he's a head case. When he starts feeling comfortable in Denver and stops feeling like he has something to prove, the sparks could fly. Hopefully not.
Well I was very surprised the Hornets let him go so easily, and even moreso that the Bulls gave him away as well. He obviously has good talent, he made it to the NBA from high school. I have been keeping a watch on him for a while now, waiting to see who would capitalize on his ability. It was just a matter of time before he got his minutes and started performing like a star. Anthony and Smith are the NBA's highest scoring duo now, if Smith continues and even gets better, the Nuggets will be a dangerous team this year and for several years to come.
not sure how tall smith is, i'm guessing under 6'3? But van gundy was looking for a big guard who can defend like wesley did and got some athleticism. Smith is better than snyder, but we got a defensive minded coach, so there... besides, we didnt have to give up any player to get snyder, not the case with smith.
from what i know from living in OKC last year, JR had a lot of issues with the coaching staff (breaking plays, doing his own thing, etc) and thats why he didnt play much. in denver it doesnt hardly look like they run many plays, so maybe it just suits his playing style better. he is a heck of an athlete, but i would still bet that something crazy happens between him and Karl before the year is over.
theres lots of useless comments made. what is important to note is that smith is a much better shooter from the outside, which is something that the rockets need very much. now someone argues that kirk is a better interior finisher than smith, but does anyone ever rmb snyder driving to the rim and finish lately? for our offense, smith definitely fit in better. but the defensely, snyder is better. and i cannot even imagine how the argument against smith being a bonehead works while no one remember what a bonehead snyder was until JVG rides him the right way.
Biggie, I have both on mine so Im prob the wrong person to answer your question. I think that, durability wise, Smith would be the better option right now. other than that, they are pretty similar in what they offer...points 3 pointers, mid-low FG percentage...if its rebounds your after though, Q is your better bet.
The offensive gameplan is a very good point. Karl wants a shot up within 8 seconds, which is perfect for a gunner like JR. So far, everything's working great. I don't rule out a blowup, but I'm not 100% ready to blame Smith for that. I just don't think it happens this year. I've been saying all along that the Karl explosion will happen next year, and I stand by that.
