J.R. Smith '100 percent sure' Knicks will win 2014 title

Injured New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith has done a lot of chirping the last few days, and he is now guaranteeing that the Knicks will win the 2014 NBA title, according to the New York Post's Marc Berman.

Smith participated in a question-and-answer session with kid golfers in New York over the weekend, and he said he's "100 percent sure" the Knicks will end their title drought this upcoming season.

This comes just days after Smith responded to comments made by Paul Pierce about the budding rivalry between the Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. Smith said that Pierce's "words have consequences, and he's going to have to pay for them."

Smith piled on those comments, explaining he signed with the Knicks in 2012 because "the Nets weren't good" and "now they're still not good."

The Nets of course will almost certainly be very good after adding Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Andrei Kirilenko this offseason. Both the Nets and Knicks are coming off disappointing playoff exits, and the two squads will be battling it out in a much tougher Eastern Conference. As it stands, the Knicks are probably the fifth-best team in the East behind the Nets, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers, so fulfilling Smith's promise is quite the long shot.

Smith is currently rehabbing his surgically repaired left knee, and he hopes to be ready by the season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 30. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year believes he's ahead of schedule, but he also wants to be cautious and not rush back too soon.

If only Smith expressed that kind of caution when opening his mouth.

More from SB Nation NBA:

• Michael Beasley and the problem with weed in the NBA

• Spurs hire ESPN recruiting analyst Dave Telep

• Can the Pistons enjoy a record turnaround?

• Ranking the top 100 NBA players of 2017