Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
It happened at like 1 a.m. on Saturday night, so maybe you missed it. But this play pretty much captures JR Smith. Below, he mistakes a Tyreke airball for a made 3-pointer, and, well… Damn:
It’s moments like this—pure apathy, with a hint of idiocy—that make JR Smith so compelling. Equal parts maddening and brilliant, he pretty much personifies the NBA, in general. Because for every instance like above, where he just looks like a fool, there are moments like this:
He encapsulates the best and worst potentials of the modern day NBA player. Consider:
He went from high school to the NBA … He almost exclusively shoots either dunks or three pointers … He’s covered in tattoos … He’s prone to spontaneous scoring eruptions … Equally prone to fits of defensive laziness … If you’re looking to nitpick, there’s plenty of opportunity … If you’re looking to celebrate, there are at least two or three jaw-dropping shots or dunks per game.
How you view JR Smith probes at how you view the NBA. If you’re someone that tends to give athletes the benefit of the doubt, then you’ll look past boneheaded moments like the play above. If you’re someone that yearns for the days of yore, then you definitely hate JR Smith.
If Javaris Crittendon put a gun to your head and you had to pick one player that represents the best and worst of the NBA…
Gotta be JR Smith, right? Go Nuggets?
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