In what has been a drama-filled season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, J.R. Smith has suddenly evolved into an emotional leader, via both his words and his actions.
The definition of a leader has seemed to be lost on the Cavs this season.
On a team that is first in the Eastern Conference with a 42-17 record, no true or real leader has emerged and backed up his off-court comments with his on-court play.
Expect one, and that one is, amazingly, Smith.
Let’s clear something up first. LeBron James is still the best player on this squad by far but his leadership actions have came into question by many this season. James has spoken constantly on the importance of moving the basketball and playing defense for a full 48 minutes. Yet, his isolation heavy ball in clutch situations and his sometimes-lacking effort on the defensive end leaves many considering James as more of a boss rather than a leader on this team.
However, who does James consider as one of Cleveland’s most passionate members?
“We have emotional leaders, for sure.” James said, via Cavs.com. “I’m one of them and J.R. is one of them as well, who hangs his emotions on his jersey, on his shoulders and on his chest a lot.”
If you haven’t watched any Cavalier games this season, I’ll understand if you need to read that quote again. Let’s be honest, Smith has never really been known as a voice of reason or a leader in any way, shape or form throughout his career. Usually, Smith has been the one being led, as his countless bonehead plays both on and off the court have plagued his image around the league.
However, Smith has bucked the trend this season, as he has undergone a metamorphosis, turning himself into a captain on this Cavalier team. Anderson Varejao held that mantle but he has been traded and is now enjoying the success of the record-breaking Golden State Warriors. As aforementioned, James’ actions and words have been too confusing this season to consider him the captain. James Jones possesses all the qualities but his lack of playing time removes him from the conversation. Apart from those three, there is no one else on the Cavs roster that can really make a strong case to be considered the harbinger.
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Don’t think though that Smith is the most passionate figure on this team by default. His effort and intensity on the defensive end, the chip on his shoulder he plays with and the authenticity of his words in the media all paint a picture of a man who has one clear goal, a feature that other Cavaliers have been suspect of this season.
In an era where the sport of basketball is addicted to analytics, Smith has been doing his best to make his defensive metrics irrelevant. The Cavaliers allow fewer points per 100 possessions with Smith off the court compared to on it and opponents are shooting 43.6% when being guarded by J.R., just 0.5% below their season average.
I’m as big as a believer in advanced stats than anyone but I’m going to side with Charles Barkley here. For Smith, the eye test on the defensive end speaks a lot louder than his numbers.
Coming to a conclusion that Cleveland is a better defensive team when Smith is on the bench is simply short-sided. No one apart from maybe Matthew Dellavedova, plays with the same tenacity and vigor on the ‘other’ end of the floor than Smith. Diving on loose balls, playing the passing lanes, getting into the face of the opposition, winning the 50/50 balls or just simply being active off the ball have all been elements of Smith’s defensive effort this season.
All of these intangibles and cliché defensive skills that Smith exhibits on the court has a domino affect onto his teammates. As much as players shouldn’t need to see another teammates laying it on the line on the defensive end to get their excitement levels up, it is a theme seen around the NBA. When someone like Kyrie Irving, who isn’t a good defender, sees Smith flying around on that end, it trickles down onto Irving and the rest of the team. This makes everyone lock in just that extra bit more and become a more boisterous defensive team.
Along with Smith’s substantial improvements as a defender, he has also taken a step forward and developed into a vocal chief in the Cavs locker-room. This was mainly evident after Cleveland’s 14-point loss (it was a lot worse than that) to the middling Washington Wizards, where Smith didn’t mince words, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
"“We can’t play basketball like this going down the stretch. There’s 24, 25 games left in the year and you talk about contending, being a championship contender, and get blown out by a team. … After losing a game to the No. 2 team in the East, then you come out and get thrashed and make it look good at the end. We can’t do that. If we’re serious about who we’re supposed to be, then we can’t do this. I don’t know. It’s tough. If we’re going to play with a lack of energy after losing a game on the road and come out and play the way we did today, then we shouldn’t be who we are and be in these uniforms.”"
These words are telling, especially coming from Smith. If there was any doubt that Smith was one of those Cavaliers worried about their ‘brand’, it was all eliminated after this post-game rant.
The vehement comments and the added ferociousness that Smith is playing with on the defensive end leaves no doubt that he has solidified himself as the ringleader of the Cavaliers emotional ranks.
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