My Biggest Cavs Concern: Will J.R. Smith Revert to his Old Ways?
J.R. Smith was a pleasant surprise last year. He found a role in Cleveland that fits his unique skillset perfectly. For the first time in years Smith wasn’t forced to create his own shot or be one of the primary scoring options. With that he was able to distance himself from his tumultuous reputation. But will he revert to his old ways this season?
Smith played an instrumental role in the playoffs last season. He showed that he could get on a hot streak and singlehandedly turn the course of a game or even a playoff series. J.R. Smith ignited the Cavs offense late in a must win game 4 in Chicago. His 11 points in in the 4th quarter set the stage for LeBron to make the game winning shot in the corner that changed the course of the series.
But we’ve also seen the J.R. Smith that showed up in the NBA Finals that couldn’t give the Cavs any consistent scoring.
Smith’s role changed completely when he came to the Cavaliers. He went from creating his own shot in New York to a 3 point specialist in Cleveland. A third of his shots last year on the Cavs came from behind the arc. He did this while producing his best effective field goal percentage and true shooting percentage since 2009.
Smith also became more efficient by lowering his usage rate while significantly raising his field goal percentage and points per game. (Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference) He found the perfect balance of being an integral part of the offense while not taking shots away from the rest of the team.
The concern with Smith was never his ability. He’s never attempted a shot he couldn’t make. His worst enemy throughout his career has been himself. Smith is known to criticize his game to a fault. While self criticism is definitely a good thing, it’s not when it reaches a certain level. Smith can criticize himself to the point he mentally takes himself out of the game.
We saw that in the Finals when he was forced into being one of the top scoring options with all the injuries. He put pressure on himself to become something he’s not and his game suffered as a result.
Fortunately for Smith he doesn’t have to be one of the top scoring options for the Cavs this year. LeBron James and Kevin Love will be the primary scoring options to begin the year leaving Smith to just play within his game. Cleveland could run into problems when he is forced into situations like he was last year where he’s expected to do more than he’s comfortable doing.
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We saw how he struggled with the New York Knicks when he was the second scoring option. Fortunately the Cavs have depth especially with the additions of Richard Jefferson and Mo Williams. Smith shouldn’t find himself in a position like he was in during the Finals.
There’s no reason J.R. Smith can’t have another great season. He needs to play within his game and let the flow of the offense dictate his shots. He will inevitably run into shooting slumps during the year. Smith just needs to not be too hard on himself and realize that he will eventually come out of those slumps. The only thing standing between J.R. Smith and a career season is himself.
Is J.R. Smith a big concern for you going into the Cavs season?