JR Smith Reportedly ‘Exchanged Heated Words’ With Mike Woodson, Then Refused to Shoot vs Celtics

 

Friday night against the Celtics, JR Smith took only one shot in 27 minutes, a surprising stat considering the Knicks guard is generally one of the biggest gunners in the League. According to the Daily News, it was a conscious decision on JR’s part after the head coach admonished Smith for shooting too much: “J.R. Smith’s self-imposed freeze-out during Friday’s loss to the Boston Celtics came one day after the guard and head coach Mike Woodson exchanged heated words following Wednesday’s win over the Chicago Bulls, the Daily News has learned. According to a team source, Woodson admonished Smith for poor shot selection during the Bulls game and then became upset over something Smith said on the bench. Woodson waited until after the game to express his disappointment with Smith’s attitude and reminded the volatile shooting guard that he’s been his strongest advocate for the past two seasons. ‘Mike said that after all I’ve done for you I can’t have you talking back to me like that,’ the source claimed. The same source added that Smith made a lewd comment that angered Woodson. During Thursday’s practice, Woodson used the game film from the win over the Bulls to demonstrate moments when Smith forced shots when he could have passed. Smith’s response to Woodson’s coaching lesson was to attempt one shot in 27 minutes against the Boston Celtics. Saturday night, Smith scored two points, making just one shot on eight attempts in 24 minutes, and appeared to be benched in the fourth quarter of a 111-106 win over the Hawks at the Garden.”

Related: Mike Woodson Jokes He Might Need to ‘Punch Out’ JR Smith