Nuggets coach George Karl is once again frustrated with guard J.R. Smith.

Smith had one of the best preseasons of his career, but that play hasn't carried in the 2010-11 campaign.

"It's always the same thing," Karl said on Thursday. "Last night, I thought J.R. was giving us too many bad basketball plays and not as many good basketball plays."

Smith is averaging just 7.8 points and not shooting well.

"I've said it 100 times ? and he's been told ? that the more he takes out the bad, the more he'll play," Karl said.

"He doesn't have to give me much more good. It's just the bad shots, bad defense, bad reads, unfocused defensive concepts. From a fan standpoint, you probably wouldn't feel it, but we weren't supposed to double-team Jason Kidd and give up 3s, and he gives up a 3 in a big situation. He's got to understand that sometimes a bench player doesn't have as much rope as a starter does."