2013 NBA Playoffs: When will J.R. Smith finally grow up?

You would think that a guy who has made only 12 of his last 42 shot attempts would be a little more humble and perhaps look in the mirror and figure out a way to help his team win playoff games.

But logical thinking gets thrown out the window when we talk about New York Knicks sixth man J.R. Smith.

May 5, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith (8) controls the ball during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

The Sixth Man of the Year is having quite the week dating back to the selfish elbow that he threw at Boston Celtics guard Jason Terry, which earned him a one-game suspension.

While Smith closed the season strong and captured the Sixth Man of the Year award, many people around the game thought that Smith had finally changed, shaking the labels of a selfish player and a locker room cancer that have followed him throughout his career.

But in the events that have transpired since he was suspended have shown that Smith hasn’t changed one bit, as the more things change the more they stay the same.

First there was Smith showing no remorse for being suspended, even though he let his teammates down.

Upon his return, Smith started Game 5 0-for-10 from the floor, forgetting what made him and his team successful down the stretch- taking the ball to the basket. Instead we saw the Smith that kills rallies and shoots team out of games by jacking up one contested jumper after another.

Could his struggles be because he wasn’t totally focused on the job at hand?

According to a report from Charged.fm, Smith was out partying before Game 5 of the Celtics series.

The article includes photos and video of Smith, bottle in hand, partying away.

Its fine that Smith loves the New York nightlife, but doing so the night before a big game shows immaturity and the lack of commitment to his craft.

Then there were similar reports that Smith was out partying again on Saturday night enjoying the Floyd Mayweather fight, with the Knicks opening up the Pacers series the next afternoon.

Smith has denied the report, but why even put yourself in that situation?

Then his latest actions took the cake.

Smith has often showed his immaturity by getting into Twitter beefs with fans, but took things to another level by creating his bandwagon transfer form to insult Knicks fans even more.

Smith’s behavior has hit an all-time low.

You would think that a guy that is shooting 28.5 percent from the floor during his last three games would have more important things to worry about instead of fan reaction.

You would think that a guy that is possibly playing for an eight figure contract as a free agent would take things a little more serious.

But some people never grow up.

For a player that has never won anything in his career, Smith acts like a guy who has it all figured out.

The Knicks, who have won exactly one playoff series in 13 years, do not need the distractions that Smith provides.

Championship teams do not have players who act as immature as Smith does both on and off the court.

When is the last time Smith was called for a foul and didn’t cry to the official? When was the last time Smith missed a shot and didn’t cry for a foul?

Smith is a guy with enormous talent who truly can be great, but there is one thing that has always held him back- himself.

One day he will grow up and realize the mistakes he continues to make.

Unfortunately for Smith, by the time he grows up and begins acting like a professional, it will likely be far too late.

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