LeBron James raised some eyebrows when he said the Knicks botched their 2017 draft by not selecting Dennis Smith Jr. in the first round.
After the Cavaliers defeated the Mavericks on Saturday, James praised Dallas' Smith, saying he “should be a Knick.”
During the NBA Draft in June, the Mavericks got Smith after the Knicks selected Frank Ntilikina, which prompted many to think Saturday that James' comment was a dig at Ntilikina.
James clarified Monday that his statement had nothing to do with Ntilikina and was a dig at former Knicks president Phil Jackson.
“It’s definitely a shot at (Jackson),” James said, via cleveland.com.
He continued to praise Smith and defended his comment that the Knicks passed on an excellent player.
“(Smith's) athleticism, his playmaking ability, I’ve been knowing the kid since he was 14 years old,” James said. “I know what he’s capable of. I wasn’t throwing shade at Frank at all. People really got their pants in a bunch, and things of that nature. In New York, you look for any controversy here. I was just stating what I saw in Dennis Smith and what I saw coming out and watching the draft. I thought he would be a great fit here with Porzingis, and that’s not to Frank won’t be a great fit.”
So far, James' assessment rings true. Smith is averaging 14.8 points per game with 4.9 assists and 3.8 rebounds. Ntilikina is averaging 4.4 points per game with 5.0 assists and 1.9 rebounds.
