<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Prep star J.R. Smith has reached agreement with the Hornets on a three-year deal worth $3.1 million, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. The 18th overall pick in last month's draft, Smith will make his professional debut in the Southern California Summer Pro League in Long Beach on July 12.</div> <div align="center">Link</div> I’ve heard of this guy, but I’m not too familiar with his game. I read a brief summary about him and it seems as if he has potential to be a star in this league. He’s 6’6 with a 44’ inch vertical leap, so that means he pretty athletic. Him and Baron Davis as the backcourt could be something special.
Pretty Athletic? He's a mosnter athlete. He's ready to play in the NBA now more than any other High Schooler. He has a great outside shot. Great inside out game, he should blossom in NO if giving the chance on a consistant basis.
Whoa, saying he is the most ready highschooler is just wrong. If he was so ready, he wouldn't have been picked 18 or whatever it was. Dwight Howard is more ready. It's that simple. J.R Smith has a good long range shot, but not a good midrange game. I don't think is ball-handling is good enough yet either. But someday he could be one of the best players in the league, no doubt.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting dpballers913:</div><div class="quote_post">Whoa, saying he is the most ready highschooler is just wrong. If he was so ready, he wouldn't have been picked 18 or whatever it was. Dwight Howard is more ready. It's that simple. J.R Smith has a good long range shot, but not a good midrange game. I don't think is ball-handling is good enough yet either. But someday he could be one of the best players in the league, no doubt.</div> No its not wrong. If you've actually seen him in high school competition he has dominated like other high schoolers, and he has dominated in the games with the other elite high schoolers such as Howard. He's more ready than Howard. It's harder for a big man from High School to make an Impact than a Swingman such as JR Smith.
I've watched him compete. I wouldn't exactly say he's the most ready out of all of the HS players that entered. I mean I think Dwight Howard is the only one that is more NBA ready. If J.R. lives up to the predictions, then they say he could be the next VC. Hopefully he is as good as VC, but doesn't go down with injuries like VC. I remember watching the HS All-American game, J.R. was nialing down 3's from NBA range so he showed he can hit the long ball. I'm very happy the Hornets signed him. J.R. will be something special.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting MainEvent:</div><div class="quote_post">I've watched him compete. I wouldn't exactly say he's the most ready out of all of the HS players that entered. I mean I think Dwight Howard is the only one that is more NBA ready. If J.R. lives up to the predictions, then they say he could be the next VC. Hopefully he is as good as VC, but doesn't go down with injuries like VC. I remember watching the HS All-American game, J.R. was nialing down 3's from NBA range so he showed he can hit the long ball. I'm very happy the Hornets signed him. J.R. will be something special.</div> It's harder for high school big men to be "Ready" for the NBA, compared to the Swingmen such as Smith. Livingston and Howard have the best talent in the 2004 draft, but they were not presumed to go 1-2 in the draft because they were not NBA ready. If they were ready, they would definitly go ahead of Emeka Okafor. No disrespect to Okafor, but defensive specialists, with offensive skills like him are not number 1 picks in a draft. Maybe a number 3 or 4. He
So explain to me how J.R. is more NBA ready than Shaun and Dwight because I'm really not getting what your saying.
If Shaun Livingston and Howard were ready to play this year. They would of gone 1-2 in the draft. They need time to develop in the league. Where JR Smith doesnt need that time to develop in the league, like they do. JR Smith isn't a project, he can contribute right away and gradually improve year by year, like Carter did for his first 3 years, but less scoring than him. Livingston and Howard are the best players in the draft, but what they give you this year is nothing to close what you're going to see from them in around 4 years. The same can be said with JR Smith, but he'll stay consistant. Livingston will have his breakout season in around year 3 or 4 same with Howard. This league has becomed the NBDL basically with Talent. Players like Brown, Chandler, Livingston and Howard show that. Smith doesn't his talent is ready for the NBA, and so is he.
I don't know, I think Livingston and Howard are more ready than him, and you could even say RObert Swift is more ready. The reason JR might contribute might be more because NOH has not other SF's, that because he's ready. If they get another SF, I don't see him getting more than 10 minutes a game.
I think if he does well in the pre season he should be given Wesleys spot in the lineup. Or with Mash likely out for the start of the season, I can see him starting making more of a significant impact than any other high schooler.
The Hornets need to look into signing one of the follwing swingmen, Stephen Jackson, Rodney White etc because JR Smith can't be a starter right now, and Mash is not a certainty. If anyone would take Wesley's spot I think it would be Courtney Alexander over JR.
They need to sign someone. Jackson is a pacer. Is Alexander even coming back next year? Maybe they should get Nailon back.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting banks3:</div><div class="quote_post">If Shaun Livingston and Howard were ready to play this year. They would of gone 1-2 in the draft. They need time to develop in the league. Where JR Smith doesnt need that time to develop in the league, like they do. JR Smith isn't a project, he can contribute right away and gradually improve year by year, like Carter did for his first 3 years, but less scoring than him. Livingston and Howard are the best players in the draft, but what they give you this year is nothing to close what you're going to see from them in around 4 years. The same can be said with JR Smith, but he'll stay consistant. Livingston will have his breakout season in around year 3 or 4 same with Howard. This league has becomed the NBDL basically with Talent. Players like Brown, Chandler, Livingston and Howard show that. Smith doesn't his talent is ready for the NBA, and so is he.</div> So if JR Smith was ready, why didn't he go higher than Howard and Livingston? I really don't get your opinion. IMO, JR Smith is the biggest possibility to be a bust among this year's high schoolers.
JR Smith didnt go higher because the GMs dont want to pass up on the next possible KG or Magic/Kidd (Howard/Livingston). Its like the case with GM, hes more ready to play than Telfair, Harris, Livingston, and most players drafted ahead of him, and he wont the POY, and he got picked 20th.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">So if JR Smith was ready, why didn't he go higher than Howard and Livingston? I really don't get your opinion. IMO, JR Smith is the biggest possibility to be a bust among this year's high schoolers.</div> And I don't understand your opinion. J.R. Smith is the biggest bust? Over the likes of Josh Smith and Sebastian Telfair? I agree with banks. Out of all the high schoolers in the draft, J.R. looks most ready to contribute right away. Many NBA scouts acknowledged this, many of you would know if you were keeping track of player workouts and such. However, just because someone is more ready to play, doesn't mean they should be the highest possible draft choice. Howard and Livingston were picked so high because of their potential and upside. And because of that, they were more valued than J.R. I expect big things from J.R. with the Hornets. We'll finally have a competent SG to replace the undersized Wesley who is more useful coming off the bench, imo. Of course, I don't see J.R. starting right away but maybe through the course of the season he will be moved into the starting lineup. I'm hoping Mash resolves his differences with the team and returns to the lineup, so I don't see J.R. getting time at SF. Even if Mash doesn't return, Lynch will be better suited for the SF position. The Hornets may be establishing a great backcourt for the future in Baron Davis and J.R. Smith. This guy is definitely not a bust.
What role is JR Smith going to play? I am not a big fan of David Wesley and would like to see JR Smith start, but I dont think its going to happen. If Smith gets his minutes and gets accustomed to the NBA game, I think he can have a huge rookie year.
