Billups lends hand to Nuggets teammate
By RMI Staff 
| August 11, 2009 | 10:38 AM
J.R. Smith has had a summer worth forgetting. The Denver Nuggets guard spent 24 days in jail after pleading guilty to reckless driving and raised concerns that he was using his Twitter page for gang messages.
Now, Denver native and Nuggets savior Chauncey Billups has temporarily relocated to Las Vegas, where Smith has holed up. Billups will spend the next three weeks working out with and mentoring the embattled Nuggets guard. From Chris Tomasson at HoopsHype.com:
“JR’s a work in progress,’’ Billups said. “I’m happy and proud of the progress that he’s made. But the latest thing with the Twitter. That’s immaturity. It’s immature. Those are mistakes that we’ve got to stop him from making. We’ve got to spend some time.’’
Billups, Denver’s point guard, figures to start in the backcourt next season alongside Smith. That is, unless Nuggets coach George Karl, who said at the end of last season Smith was in line to replace the since-departed Dahntay Jones as the starting shooting guard, deems Smith still not mature enough for that role.
Billups can help knock some sense into Smith, 23, who has had numerous issues on and off the court since entering the NBA in 2004.
“I hope so,’’ Billups said of Smith becoming his starting backcourt mate. “I hope that he can make the right progressions and be more consistent and be more reliable at all times on the court. If he does, he’s one of the most talented guys I’ve ever played with. So he’s on his way to being an All-Star, if he does.’’
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chauncey billups, denver nuggets, j.r. smith
