J.R. Smith and his brother Chris Smith, both players on the New York Knicks' roster, said they will kick Jeremy Lin's ass when they play against him on the basketball court.
J.R. was rumored to have said this as the two Knick players were visiting a group of kids at the Monroe Sports Center in Middlesex, New Jersey.
Josh Newman, tweeted the following after attending the session...
Some good stuff out of both guys, including J.R. saying they're going to kick Jeremy Lin and Houston's a** this season.
J.R. said this while fielding questions regarding his ability to get his brother on the team and how he is able to remain in the starting lineup despite at times struggling.
It might be a little humorous that Smith is trash talking so early. Maybe he is trying to scare Lin before the beginning of the season?
The Knicks and the Houston Rockets are set to meet early in the season. On December 17, Lin will visit the Garden once again, this time as the enemy. He will certainly bring fans into Madison Square so the Knicks might hear more people supporting the opposing team during that matchup.
Though Lin does not possess a lot of time in the NBA, many are predicting a 20-plus points per game average for the point guard. J.R. Smith has the talent and ability to average 20 points a game, but his role in lineups has been solely as a bench player in the second unit.
Last season, in 35 games played, Smith averaged 12.5 points a game. His highest production came in 2009-2010 with the Denver Nuggets when he averaged 15.4 points a game.
It might take more than J.R. Smith to stop Lin from scoring against the Knicks, but it is also too early for J.R. Smith to start trash talking. The Knicks are already playing in a tougher Eastern Conference.
The Knicks know Lin's tendencies and unless Lin changes some aspects of his game, like the ability to use both sides of the court and reduce the amount of turnovers, the Knicks do possess the advantage going into the matchup.
Jeremy Lin Related >>> Lin sleeps on another teammates' couch.