The NBA has suspended 23-year old shooting guard J.R. Smith for the first 7 games of the NBA season due to him pleading guilty to a reckless driving accident in 2007 that killed his best friend. Smith played in 81 games (18 starts) for the Nuggets last season and he averaged 27.7 minutes, 15.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steal per game. Smith has now played in 218 games (42 starts) in his three years with the Nuggets in which he has averaged 23.6 minutes, 13.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. The Nuggets will miss Smith’s long range shooting while he is out of action.