Knicks' Smith on learning triangle: 'It's going to take a few months'

Fans hopeful that the new-look New York Knicks could master Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher's triangle offense sooner rather than later got a sobering message from J.R. Smith on Wednesday.

"It's going to take a few months," Smith said following a Knicks loss to the Celtics in their preseason opener, according to Ian Begley of ESPN New York. "Over the course of the year, understanding where everybody is going to be, (understanding that) 'some like it here, (some) like it like that.' It's going to take awhile."

Though all teams look rusty through parts of the preseason, the Knicks looked especially discombobulated on Wednesday, committing 28 turnovers compared to just 20 assists. Their shooting was also an ugly 40.6 percent from the field.

The triangle requires a lot more passing, cutting, and off-ball movement than the Knicks used in former coach Mike Woodson's stagnant offense.

Earlier on Wednesday, Fisher said that Smith is "picking up the system as well as you possibly can expect a guy in the first week or so."

Smith also took exception to the team's defense on Wednesday, saying dribble-penetration and allowing the Celtics ballhandlers to get to the middle of the floor hurt the Knicks.

"Sometimes, we have to hold the person who's on the ball more accountable instead of helping. That's what got a lot of the bigs open jump shots," Smith said.

Given that Jose Calderon will be the team's starting point guard and Smith will be logging plenty of minutes at shooting guard, the Knicks should probably get used to their guards being burned now.