The New York Knicks have postseason dreams and they rest on every player stepping up into their role. With Mike Woodson getting his contract picked up for another year, he is ready to begin pushing players to their limit. The first to feel the wrath is J.R. Smith who Woodson says needs to grow up.
The reigning Sixth Man of the Year has not had the best of offseasons. He managed to get a new contract with the Knicks before proceeding to violate the league's substance abuse policy. He will miss the first five games of the season while he also recovers from offseason knee surgery. Woodson is disappointed all together.
"I'm not going to throw him out to pasture," Woodson said, via ESPNNewYork.com. "My job is to coach him and make sure something like what happened doesn't happen again. That's what we do as coaches. I expect his teammates to show him some love. But at the end of the day, he's got to do the right thing by J.R., and his teammates and me as a coach in this organization and the fans that support him. That's what it's all about."
Smith may not be ready to play by the start of the regular season. His five-game suspension will begin once he is deemed physically ready to play. Smith will have to first be cleared by team doctors and an outside doctor to get clearance from the league. Woodson is hoping the suspension serves as a big wake-up call to Smith and forces him to mature more.
"You talk about missing the first five games, I'm not happy about it," Woodson said. "But hey, we know what we're facing and we've got to get through it and we've got to make sure that it's something that he understands that's something that can't happen again."
Per NBA rules, a third positive test for marijuana is what causes a suspension. While the league did not comment on Smith's suspension, it can be assumed what happened. Smith addressed his teammates, apologizing for the issue. He believes he "pissed the NBA gods off." Woodson just wants him to grow up.
Smith will be vital to the Knicks' season. He averaged 18.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season, before falling apart in the postseason. He struggled shooting just 33 percent from the field as the Knicks lost in the second-round of the playoffs. The expectations are much higher this year.
