The audacity of J.R. Smith was on display just last week as the Nuggets threatened to blow a division-clinching home game against Sacramento, the NBA’s worst team.
By the time it was over, Sacramento was complaining about Smith running up the score with his franchise-record 11 3-pointers, one of them a ridiculously bad shot, a twisting, contested rainbow that found nothing but net. J.R. Swish.
A similar shot — this one errant — got him benched in the first round of the playoffs two years ago. At the time, the Spurs were leading the Nuggets by four points in Game 4 with 26.9 seconds to play.
“He’s a good-bad player,” George Karl said then. “You evaluate his good and evaluate his bad.”
This was essentially Byron Scott’s conclusion, too, just before the Hornets traded Smith and P.J. Brown to the Bulls for center Tyson Chandler three years ago. The Bulls, who were dumping salary, moved him on to the Nuggets a week later.
“I wanted him to work harder on things that I thought would make him a better basketball player, and we kind of butted heads on those things,” Scott said Saturday.
Three years later, Smith is the Nuggets’ X-factor, the one player who might deflect some of the defensive heat from Carmelo Anthony. Even Anthony is urging Smith to play it smart this time around.
“Just keep playing the way he’s been playing,” Melo said. “Maybe a little bit more focused in because it’s playoff time now. A lot of the things that maybe we can do early on in the season, in the beginning of the game, we can’t do that now. Every possession counts now.”
Ever since Anthony joined the Nuggets, playoff opponents have had the luxury of focusing on only two serious offensive threats, whether it was Anthony and Andre Miller or Anthony and Allen Iverson. The smothering game plans account for Anthony’s career 38.9 playoff shooting percentage and the Nuggets’ five straight first-round exits.
This year, Chauncey Billups takes the Miller/Iverson role, but the Hornets also have to account for Smith’s ability to do what he did to Sacramento.
“Obviously, Carmelo’s going to be your main focus when you’re playing this team because of what he can do with the basketball,” Scott said. “He can score in so many different ways on you.
“But I think J.R. is a priority. You’ve got to make sure when he comes off the bench that he’s not getting 30 or 40 points. If he does that, it’s very difficult to beat this team.”
The challenge for Smith, who is still only 23, is to make sure he gets the 27 minutes a night he earned during the regular season. What will that take?
“Defense,” Smith said before the question was finished. “Defense and help rebound.”
“Minimize his weaknesses,” Karl said, “and don’t force his game as sometimes he does. I told him (Friday) morning, ‘J.R., you now have probably moved into the top three priorities on our basketball team, and maybe top two.’
“There’s no way, I don’t think, Melo or J.R. in a playoff game is probably going to upgrade statistically, but you can upgrade your importance by playing the game the right way.”
This is the J.R. paradox. He needs to play the game the right way to stay on the floor, but whether he’s taking it to the rim or firing up 26-footers, he puts his stamp on a game with audacity.
“He’s been playing great the last month,” Billups said. “He’s had a great season, actually, but he’s really been hot lately. I think defensively be a little more in tune to what’s going on, to the game plan, but offensively just be who you are.”
Smith, as always, claims to have no worries.
“I can’t wait,” he said. “I’m feeling real good about this series and this whole playoff situation. It’s a great feeling.”
Asked if he’s still motivated by the Hornets trading him, he shook his head.
“No, my teammates motivate me more than anything,” he said. “Just the ability to go out there and play for them; I mean, it’s just the best feeling.”
J.R. Swish may finally be ready to help the Nuggets more than he hurts them in the playoffs. If so, it could make all the difference.
Dave Krieger: 303-954-5297 or dkrieger@denverpost.com
