Cavs Need J.R. Smith Off the Bench
The Cleveland Cavaliers are doing pretty well over the last month. Even though their 12 game winning streak came to an end last night, totally explainable as we show here, they are a team on the rise. The Cavs currently sit tied for the 4th seed in the East, just a half game out of the 3rd spot and only 3.5 out of the important 2nd seed.
Yet there are concerns on the team. Needless to say the team is not perfect. Here are a couple that was have attempted to address, all new windows:
- Cavs Need a Point Guard: A Possible Mo Williams Trade
- We Have No Backup Small Forward: What is Wrong with Shawn Marion?
- Cavs Need another Big: A Cavs-Lakers Trade
One issue that has not been dived into as much is the starting lineup and the possible need for a change. We propose that the Cavs need to move J.R. Smith to the bench, but not because he is playing bad but because of how bad the second unit is.
Remember back to the trade with the Thunder and the Knicks, the thought immediately was two fold: 1) J.R. was the price the Cavs had to pay to get Iman Shumpert and 2) Shumpert would slide right into the starting lineup as a 3 and D type player.
Because of the delay in Shump returning from his injury, the Cavs inserted Smith into the starting lineup and he proved to be highly valuable. He knocked down open 3 pointers, played solid enough defense and moved the ball unselfishly at times. A “New J.R.” was found, which he credited to not having any place to go out to in Cleveland. Fans and teammates alike embraced him.
Since then Shumpert has made his return to the Cavs. He has played limited minutes as he builds back up his conditioning, and as a way to protect his shoulder to make sure it heals. In his 9 games back he has averaged less than 20 minutes a game, with a max of 22. He is averaging just over 6 points, 1.2 steals and almost 3 rebounds in his limited time on the court.
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Smith on the other hand has been streaky but continues to be an important part of the Cavs winning ways. In his 17 games with the team he is averaging 32 minutes a game while putting in almost 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.6 steals. An all around game to say the least.
The problem is the Cavs offense when LeBron James and Kyrie Irving go to the bench. The Cavs have no other dynamic playmakers that can make the offense move. Shumpert is not a great ball handler, adequate, nor can he create a lot of shots for himself or others. Smith on the other hand can. Having Smith and Kevin Love on the floor together when James and Irving are off, still gives the Cavs a potent 1-2 punch on offense.
Starting Shumpert and bringing Smith off the bench is more about when the players get minutes, not how many they get. Shump will continue to eat into Marion and Matthew Dellavedova‘s minutes, while Smith will still be on the floor a ton. Yet, instead of the Cavs running in Shumpert, Dellavedova and Tristan Thompson as their primary reserves, none of which are overly skilled offensive players, Smith takes over with Delly and Tristan and two of the starters.
Starting Iman Shumpert and bringing J.R. Smith off the bench would help balance the Cavs offensively minded starting unit and their defensively minded second unit. Now that Shump is back in game shape and Smith has had time to learn to trust his teammates and coaching staff, this transition should be a smooth one. One that we expect to happen after the All Star break.
What do you think about bringing J.R. Smith off the bench for the Cavs?