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| J.R. SMITH |
Just four hours after reports that Metta World Peace will come home excited many New York Knicks fans, the team drained away an awful lot of the positive feelings with the announcement that reigning Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith will miss the next 12 to 16 weeks after undergoing a pair of procedures on his left knee — patella tendon surgery and arthroscopy for a tear in the lateral meniscus — on Monday.
The Knicks' timetable would peg Smith's return to action somewhere between Oct. 15 and Nov. 15. (Smith shared the photo above on Instagram on Tuesday morning.)
And, if we're getting technical, just four days after Smith signed his contract to return as an integral part of a rotation that owner James Dolan, general manager Glen Grunwald and coach Mike Woodson hope will carry New York past the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 13 years.
Marc Berman of the New York Post followed by reporting that other teams asking about Smith in free agency "were made aware of his impending surgery," that New York "had no major qualms" about offering four years despite the knee injuries because they viewed it as a fair price for Smith's services, and that the post-signing timing of the surgery was "most convenient for the Knicks’ medical and training staffs."
The Knicks' timetable would peg Smith's return to action somewhere between Oct. 15 and Nov. 15. (Smith shared the photo above on Instagram on Tuesday morning.)
News that Smith needed surgery to address what the Knicks said have become "chronic" knee problems that "gradually worsened" throughout the season and playoffs came just 11 days after the team agreed to pay the 27-year-old shooting guard nearly $25 million over the next four years to be their top bench scorer.
And, if we're getting technical, just four days after Smith signed his contract to return as an integral part of a rotation that owner James Dolan, general manager Glen Grunwald and coach Mike Woodson hope will carry New York past the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 13 years.
ESPN New York's Jared Zwerling and Ian Begley reported that the Knicks were aware of the degrading condition of Smith's knee during the season (which Smith ended pretty brilliantly) and postseason that they perform physical examinations on all players before finalizing contracts.
Marc Berman of the New York Post followed by reporting that other teams asking about Smith in free agency "were made aware of his impending surgery," that New York "had no major qualms" about offering four years despite the knee injuries because they viewed it as a fair price for Smith's services, and that the post-signing timing of the surgery was "most convenient for the Knicks’ medical and training staffs."
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