J.R. Smith Has X-Ray On Injured Thumb

It’s been a tough season for Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith, who had to have an x-ray after the game after injuring his thumb, again.

J.R. Smith was limited to only 22 minutes in the Cleveland Cavaliers Game 1 victory.

Smith had an X-Ray on his right thumb after the game, according to Coach Lue. That’s the same right thumb that he had surgery on earlier this season. He was missed nearly four months earlier this year because of that surgery.

Smith injured the thumb in the first half, but he isn’t sure what exact play he injured it on. According to Alex Hooper of 92.3 The Fan, Smith said that the injury is nothing to worry about:

"“Yeah, I banged it (his right thumb) in the first half. Not sure if I hit it on the floor or someone hacked down on it, but it didn’t really feel right at first. I had the trainers look at it, nothing structurally wrong or anything like that.”"

Hopefully Smith is right and there is nothing to worry about here. After the amount of injuries the Cavs have suffered this year, it’s tough to not be a little concerned.

If for some reason Smith can’t go in Game 2, expect Iman Shumpert to take his place in the starting lineup. Hopefully that’s a bridge we don’t have to cross.

Although Shumpert filled in admirably for Smith in both the regular season and in Game 2 of the previous round, as the Cavs swept the Pacers, the offensive and defensive tradeoff between the two isn’t as close as some would have you believe.

While both are capable of being playmakers on offense, Smith is far and away the better shooter and teams respect the threat of his three-point shot more, even if his shooting averages don’t reflect that this season. Smith is also one of the player responsible for throwing necessary lobs to LeBron James in transition, which isn’t something every player can do. Defensively, Smith is bigger and stronger than Shumpert while also being athletic enough to stick with nearly any perimeter player.

What do you think of J.R. Smith’s thumb injury? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.