Dennis: Phil was kind of a menace

LOS ANGELES — By requesting a physical, Dennis Smith Jr. claimed the Knicks reneged on an agreement during their predraft meeting and that’s why he declined to work out for Phil Jackson.

“I wouldn’t say they made me feel uncomfortable,” said Smith Jr., who is at All-Star weekend for the Rising Stars Challenge and the Slam Dunk contest. “That would be pretty difficult to do. But it was more that we had an agreement and they tried to change things around. It ain’t nothing personal.”

Smith Jr., 20, who tore his ACL in the summer of 2015, was ultimately drafted ninth overall by the Mavericks — one spot after the Knicks chose Frank Ntilikina — and is averaging nearly 15 points while shooting just 39 percent.

He went out to dinner with the Knicks in June — when Jackson pressured the point guard to eat octopus — but then canceled his workout the next day after the Knicks asked for a physical. According to Yahoo!, the Knicks requested another workout the day before the draft but Smith Jr. had made up his mind about preferring the Mavericks over New York.

“The vibe was dif- ferent in Dallas to me,” Smith told the website. “The Knicks have some good guys on their staff, but the situation with them was funky at the time.”

Earlier this season, LeBron James took a shot at Jackson for passing on Smith Jr. in the draft.

“The Knicks passed on a really good one, and Dallas got the diamond in the rough,” James said. “He should be a Knick. That’s going to make some headlines, but he should be a Knick. Dallas is definitely, I know they’re excited that he didn’t go there.” long and, as expected, the defense was atrocious. That’s not exactly Ntilikina’s preferred style of play as a defensive specialist.

The Frenchman said it was his first All-Star game on any level.

“I had to adjustment a little bit. I was trying to find my defensive marks at the beginning,” he said. “I think in that game you just have to go out there and have fun. Don’t think.”

Ntilikina brought his family for its first visit to L.A. and Friday was his mother’s birthday.

“I was watching All-Star weekend when I was younger, so to be here as a player is amazing,” he said.