Smith making case for NBA Sixth Man Award

Dahntay Jones has been named campaign manager for J.R. Smith’s bid to win the NBA Sixth Man Award.

Just to set the record straight, Jones named himself to that position. Smith, you see, believes Dallas guard Jason Terry has the award locked up.

“I’ve made myself (campaign manager) in support of my teammates,’’ said Jones, a Nuggets shooting guard who starts games and then makes way for his backup to launch missiles from Castle Rock.

Jones is doing his best to promote Smith. During Smith’s press conference following his latest three-point explosion Saturday at the Pepsi Center, Smith jumped in and said, “Sixth Man of the Year,’’ just in case there were any undecided voters nearby.

Perhaps buttons and bumper stickers are next.

“Nobody has had performances off the bench like him,’’ Jones said after Smith scored 34 points while hitting 7-of-14 from three-point range in Denver’s 120-104 rout over the depleted Los Angeles Clippers. “He’s dominated second units. Jason Terry comes in the first three minutes of the game. He’s just like a starter.’’

Apparently, Jones needs to convince Smith before he launches an all-out campaign to bring the award to Denver.

“They’re talking about Jason Terry,’’ Smith said. “They’ve (the media voting on the award) got their minds made up. I think everybody’s got their mind set on Jason Terry.’’

In the scoring department, Terry, who has started 11 of his 68 games played, has a decent lead. He’s averaging 19.6 points to 15.0 for Smith, who has started 18 of his 76 games.

Smith is the fourth-leading scorer among NBA players with 20 or less starts (the criteria for the award is a player can’t start more than half the games he’s played.). The second- and third-leading such scorers are Golden State’s Corey Maggette (18.6) and New York’s Nate Robinson (18.0), but neither would seem to have much of a chance to win the award because of their team’s dismal records.

As campaign manager Jones points out, Smith’s Nuggets (51-26) have a better record than Terry’s Mavericks (45-31), and Smith has been on a tear lately. He’s averaged 21.6 points the past 11 games, really blowing up in the past two.

Smith on Thursday set a Nuggets and overall tying Pepsi Center record by drilling eight three-pointers (in 13 attempts) and scoring 28 points against Utah. He was about as hot Saturday.

“Just everything I throw up is going in right now,” Smith said.

So sizzling was Smith that midway through the fourth quarter, after Smith drilled yet another three-pointer against the hapless Clippers, Jones and forward Carmelo Anthony made like they were spraying a fire extinguisher on Smith while the young guard fanned his right hand.

“He was on fire,’’ Anthony said. “There’s nothing else you can say about that… I was trying to put out the fire, but it didn’t work.’’

Whatever Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy tried also didn’t work. Smith scored 21 points in the first half, including one stretch of 18 straight for Denver, and the Nuggets went into the locker room with a 66-47 lead.

“He’s got to be in the conversation,’’ Dunleavy said of Smith’s shot for the Sixth Man Award. “He’s certainly very spectacular with the numbers he can put up.’’

But before Nuggets officials might blanket media members with touts for Smith to win the award, coach George Karl acknowledged it will be an uphill climb.

“I think he’s going to get votes,’’ Karl said. “But I think Jason Terry, he seems to be everybody’s favorite. If (Smith’s hot streak) would have happened maybe two weeks ago and would continue to happen, he’d have a better chance. But most people’s votes are probably definitely made already.’’

Nevertheless, guard Chauncey Billups is calling for Smith to win the award, dubbing him a “phenom.’’ Guard Anthony Carter also has thrown his support behind Smith, and talked about the tape-measure jumpers he’s been hitting of late.

On Thursday, Smith made one from 29 feet, two from 27, three from 26 and two from 25. On Saturday, he made three from 26 feet, three from 25 and one from 24.

That makes the average distance for Smith’s three-pointers the past two games a shade under 26 feet and something that might look like a typo to some.

“When he lines up from 30 feet, everybody thinks it’s going to go in like a layup,’’ Carter said.

Karl said Smith shooting “a couple of feet behind the line is probably
OK when he’s in a rhythm.’’ But Karl stressed Smith “has to be more fundamental’’ when “he isn’t in a rhythm.’’

But Karl hasn’t been messing much lately with Smith. Just over a month ago, Karl said planned to mostly start Smith the rest of the season, but he soon abandoned the plan when it became apparent that starting Jones and having Smith blow away second-teamers proved to be more effective.

“I’m still getting my shots,’’ Smith said of having no problem with continuing to come off the bench. “I don’t see why they would change it. I’m cool with it. Whatever coach wants me to do, I’ll do.’’

One might think Smith likes coming off the bench to help him get the Sixth Man Award. But he claims that’s not going to happen.

Nevertheless, there’s still 1 ½ weeks left in the season for Smith’s self-appointed campaign manager to garner support.