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Old 10-26-2019, 06:42 PM   #49
Jack.Kerr
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Default Porzingis Trade: Mavs 2, Nix 0

Ouch. Smith booed in pre-game intros at MSG.

Even worse, Ntilikina got a massive cheer.

Feel the burn, Bullet, feel the burn.

Update: After Bullet bricks a 3-point attempt in last seconds of Q3, MSG crowd chants "WE WANT FRANK!"

Line through 3 quarters: 11 minutes, 0 points on 0-3 FG, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 assist, 2 TO, -15.

His shot has more hitches now than a U-haul parking lot.

He leaves the court to boos.

I'm almost starting to feel bad for him. Almost.

Quote:
Dennis Smith Jr. seems to have the yips
Stefan Bondy
By STEFAN BONDY
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS |
OCT 26, 2019 | 10:12 PM

Something is wrong with Dennis Smith Jr.

It was fairly evident in the first two games of the season, and then painfully obvious in Saturday night’s 118-95 loss to the Celtics. The point guard and former ninth overall pick has the symptoms of the dreaded yips.

Boston recognized the issue and left Smith Jr. wide open Saturday. He either passed up the shot or missed, going 0-for-3 on without coming close. His night ended on the end of the bench, a towel draped over his shoulder and a somber look on his face.

Smith Jr. only logged 11 minutes Saturday, but his final 3 1/2 minutes between the third and fourth quarters were pivotal to the end result. The Knicks were up 4 when Smith Jr. was subbed in. They trailed by 8 when he left and never recovered.

Toward the end of Smith Jr.’s time on the floor, a frustrated crowd booed his misses and chanted for Frank Ntilikina, the other point guard who is buried at the end of the rotation. On the season, Smith Jr. is 1-for-11 with three points in three games. His jumper was never a strong point, and he spent the summer working on a new form with assistant coach Keith Smart. Now Smith Jr. can’t come close.

Loud "We want Frank" chants at MSG as DSJ struggles
https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/1188267968989409280

David Fizdale said he’ll allow Smith Jr. play out of the funk. To a point.

“That’s the battle. That’s the battle. You’re trying to stay competitive in the game and at the same time you’re trying to give him enough time to fight his way into rhythm,” the coach said. “But you know, ultimately I always pick trying to win over that right now. He’ll get there.”

The loss, by far their worst of the season, dropped the Knicks to 0-3. Kemba Walker, the Bronx native, dropped 32 points on his hometown team on 11-of-17 shooting. The Knicks were a disaster with 25 turnovers and just 15 assists, so it’s wholly unfair to pin this all on Smith Jr.

But as the biggest remaining piece in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, the Knicks have a lot invested in the 21-year-old. The only bright spot was RJ Barrett’s first half. The rookie finished with 26 points on 9-of-20 shooting.

“He’s really talented,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said of Barrett. “I thought he was really good in the draft, I thought he was really good at Duke. He’s had that reputation before he got there. His ability to shoot the ball early on has been impressive. He’s always been able to get downhill and finish. Big strong guard. The way the league is going, he can play 2-through-4. And he finished the game (against Brooklyn on Friday night) at the point. So quite an impressive young guy.”

David Fizdale went with the same starting lineup as the night prior in Brooklyn — with Elfrid Payton at point guard and Mitchell Robinson at center — and it was a smashing success. After an elaborate introduction of the roster for the home opener, the Knicks jumped out to a 16-4 advantage.

But that lead only held up for about seven minutes. The Celtics immediately responded with a 16-4 run of their own, and the first half turned into a back-and-forth with lead changes and alternating bursts of good basketball.

The game turned for the Celtics for good when Smith Jr. came back in.

Last edited by Jack.Kerr; 10-26-2019 at 09:28 PM.
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