NBA

JR Smith guarantees Knicks title while dissing Pierce, ‘not good’ Nets

J.R. Smith guaranteed yesterday the Knicks will bring home a championship and claimed the Nets are “still not good.”

During a question-and-answer session with kid golfers at Chelsea Piers, Smith was asked how sure he was of the Knicks ending their title drought this season.

“I’m 100 percent sure,” the swingman said.

Smith was then asked why he joined the Knicks over the Nets when he came back from China in February 2012.

“The Nets weren’t good,’’ Smith said. “Now they’re still not good.’’

There has been much hype this offseason lavished on the Nets after their bold trade with the Celtics to acquire Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, who has been the most outspoken promoter of Brooklyn’s chances in the Eastern Conference.

Later, in an interview with ESPN NY, Smith said Pierce was “a bitter person just getting out of Boston’’ and threatened “his words have consequences and he’s going to have to pay for them.’’

When asked by The Post why he is so confident, Smith said, “I feel comfortable. People ruled us out last year early, too. We added some great pieces. Unfortunately, we got rid of some good pieces. But we added Andrea [Bargnani], Beno [Udrih], Metta [World Peace]. We have to consistently play like we did the first 20 games last year the whole season. We can’t have a middle-of-season lapse. We have to consistently play the same way.”

When the Knicks re-signed Smith, they also renewed their acquaintance with his flamboyance. He denied he was driving a $450,000 armored truck that was parked outside a restaurant where he was dining in the Meatpacking District last month. Smith said the vehicle was his friend’s and he came in a Bentley.

“I don’t know how that got out,’’ Smith said. “I wasn’t even in the truck. I was standing next to the truck. It’s not my truck. It’s one of my friend’s. The Bentley was just over there. I don’t know why they didn’t think that was mine.”

Smith also no longer has blonde hair after his mother and coach Mike Woodson made him dye it back to its original color.

“My mom was killing me, [Woodson] didn’t like it at all,’’ Smith said. “He told me he wasn’t playing my golf outing if I had it blonde. My mom was the deciding factor. She said it was time to bring back the old me.”

Smith, who had knee surgery on a chipped patella tendon in mid-July, said he doubts he can be ready for the start of training camp on Oct. 1, but said he is hoping to be available for the season opener against the Bucks on Oct. 30.

Smith, who turns 28 on Sept. 9, warned the medical staff he is taking his rehab very cautiously. He was listed as being out three to four months following the surgery. Smith said he will meet with the team’s orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Answorth Allen, next week.

“Hopefully they say some good stuff,” Smith said. “Me personally, I want to play the season opener, but I know Dr. Allen is not going to let me rush it. He’s going to take it like — if I have a week, he’ll give me two weeks.’’

Smith, who is doing rehab in a pool, believes he is ahead of schedule.

“They say I’m faster, but I’m not 100 percent sure,” he said.

The Knicks’ sixth man had a lot of fun with the questions from the young golfers.

When one asked whether he is better than Carmelo Anthony, Smith said, “Yes, I am, but he gets paid more.’’

Another wanted to know what team besides the Knicks he would want to play for.

“If I move to another team, I’d retire,” said the New Jersey native. “There’s nothing like playing at home.’’

* J.R.’s brother, point guard Chris Smith, has been invited to Knicks training camp despite an average summer-league showing. The most likely scenario is he gets cut and joins the D-League squad in Erie.