MILWAUKEE — J.R. Smith made his first start for the Knicks on Friday night, but the way the whole day went, it might be his last.
With center Tyson Chandler missing his second straight game, Smith was inserted into the lineup because coach Mike D’Antoni wanted to jump-start his Knicks career. But he played erratically and acted just as poorly on the bench when he failed to join the huddles during timeouts, sitting alone and appearing to pout. Smith played 18 minutes and scored three points.
Making matters worse, Smith, very active in social media, Friday tweeted a photo of a partially naked woman in a bed in his hotel room.
After last night’s 119-114 loss, a Knicks official conferred with Smith before he met with a small group of writers.
“I didn’t know it would turn into a big deal,’’ Smith said of the photo. “I definitely regret it. Whenever it takes away from our team, I regret it. It wasn’t the smartest move.”
Asked if he had spoken to the NBA, Smith said, “Not yet. I’m sure I will.’’
A Knicks spokesman declined to comment. The Knicks signed Smith 2½ weeks ago with fears about his reputation as a character negatively effecting the locker room.
Smith is noticeable in the locker room after losses for being in jovial, joking moods. He loudly sang a rap song after the Boston heartbreaker. The NBA has disciplined players for various tweets.
Regarding his failure to get in the huddle, Smith said, “Whenever I don’t play the way I’m accustomed to playing, I’m definitely going to get frustrated. I got to do a better job of channeling into positive energy for my team.
“I didn’t play the way I wanted to play,’’ said Smith, who has a player option for next season. “I can’t really get a rhythm out there. It wasn’t my game.’’
Smith played in China until mid-to-late February.
“It’s a fast-paced game here,’’ Smith said. “Over there it’s not the same. It’s like going from high school to the pros all over again.’’
Before the game, D’Antoni said he would go with a small lineup with Smith.
“I want to look at J.R. and get him jump-started,” he said. “He comes into a new team. He also hasn’t played here in eight months, and it’s a different speed [than China]. It takes a while.’’
Smith is pals with Anthony and share the same agent, Leon Rose. Anthony lobbied for the Knicks to make the move and upper management was all ears.
Chandler is expected back for tomorrow’s game versus the 76ers.
“[The training staff] wants to err on the side of caution,’’ Chandler said.
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Steve Novak’s father, Mike, who coached his 3-point shooting son at nearby Brown Deer High, attended Friday morning’s shootaround. The Brown Deer High athletic director spoke for 15 minutes to the local media — five more minutes than D’Antoni.
Mike Novak even weighed in on the Knicks’ overcrowded rotation.
“It’s good for the players,” he said. “It’s not good for the coaches.’’
Mike Novak made good with his promise reported in last weeks’ Post to watch his daughter Maggie’s high-school playoff game over the Knicks-Bucks. He was expected to arrive in the second half.
The Novaks went 0-2 as Maggie’s school lost the game, though she scored 17. But it was more than Steve Novak, who had 11 points, making 3 of 6 3-pointers.