Al Iannazzone's post on Basketball | Latest updates on Sulia

J.R. Smith was talking about his Denver days and saidhe purposely did things “that would [tick] George off,” as

in Nuggets coach George Karl. Smith clashed with Karl and his first coach Byron Scott. But Smith has clicked with Mike Woodson. Smith said he has become a more reliable player because he said he doesn’t want to disappoint Woodson. Smith takes some of the blame for what happened earlier in his career, but he said he couldn’t just become the person his former coaches wanted him to be. Smith’s dad gives all the credit to Woodson for being in his ear and trying to make his son more of a professional. “The other coaches didn’t give a damn about him, period,” Earl Smith, Jr. said. http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/knicks/j-r-smith-maturing-under-mike-woodson-s-guidance-1.4447314