Is J.R. Smith Right About Denver Being Selfish?

J.R.’s venting on Twitter following the Nuggets’ Game 4 loss in Utah led to a mini-referendum on the team’s ability (and willingness) to share the ball. The Denver Post reports from practice: “The Nuggets had just 13 assists in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series against the Jazz. But Smith, perhaps more than any other Denver player, is known for jacking up bad shots. Smith did not make himself available to the media Monday at the Pepsi Center. Asked about Smith’s tweet, Nuggets interim coach Adrian Dantley appeared uncomfortable. ‘What do you want me to say? That he shouldn’t have made that comment? I don’t know. He shouldn’t have made that comment,’ Dantley said. Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups was asked about the tweet and said: ‘It’s frustrating to lose, and people can say what they want, but at any rate, when we win, we win together. I don’t think we’ve been specifically selfish.’ After the backlash began to build Monday, Smith tweeted: ‘yo i got the twiiter goons on my back!’ For the series, J.R. is 15-for-44 from the field.”