INDIANAPOLIS – Knicks bad boy J.R. Smith is baaaack!
Mike Woodson said Smith will play Thursday when the Knicks face the Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
“I need J.R. every game, every game I need J.R.,’’ Woodson said at the morning shootaround. “And J.R. will be back in uniform today and we’ll go from there.’’
Smith hid in the trainer’s room Thursday morning and didn’t meet with writers covering the team, though it could have been on advice from the organization.
The Knicks are 6-2 in 2014, and the only player not buying in so far is Smith, who has been benched twice in the past four games.
“He’s going to have to be with it if he wants to be a part of it,’’ Woodson said. “As coach, it’s my job to make sure that happens. He’ll be back in uniform tonight and we expect him to play at a high level. That’s what I expect from a coaching standpoint. Just concentrate on playing basketball.’’
Smith was benched for the second time Tuesday in Charlotte, with the organization feeling he still hasn’t gotten it despite last week’s $50,000 shoelace fine and his original benching last Thursday against the Heat. Smith grumbled aloud about playing time while sitting out most of the Monday’s overtime against the Suns and reportedly was late for a team meeting Tuesday in the Charlotte hotel. Woodson said on his radio show Wednesday his “support” for Smith would not change, indicating Smith’s banishment was over.
Asked Thursday whether he had spoken with Smith, Woodson said: “There’s nothing that needs to be said. I expect J.R. to be a pro and concentrate on playing basketball. That’s why he’s wearing a Knick uniform. It’s a privilege to play in this league. You got to do all the necessary things on and off the court to be a pro in this league. I don’t think any player should take it for granted. When he’s in uniform his job is to play. When he’s out of uniform his job is to concentrate on being a pro.’’
There’s a zero-tolerance policy now in place for Smith, the oft-fined shooting guard who became eligible to be traded Wednesday. Smith last spoke late Tuesday night when he acknowledged he would go elsewhere if he is not in the Knicks’ plans.
Point guard Pablo Prigioni may make his return Thursday night from a nearly 5-week absence due to a broken toe. He worked out in a 4-on-4 scrimmage Wednesday and came away feeling no pain. However, Prigioni said he had to discuss the status with Woodson, who could decide to hold him back for Friday’s game against the Clippers at the Garden.
Woodson said he had “bad feeling’’ coming back to this arena where the Knicks’ season ended last May in the second round of the playoffs against the Pacers. Adding salt to the wound is his local ties: He grew up in the Broad Ripple section of Indianapolis, and owns a southern-cuisine restaurant on the outskirts of town.