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J.R. Smith Out 3-4 Months, What Does That Mean For The Cavs

By Quenton S. Albertie

Dec 13, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) reacts missing a three-point shot attempt in the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) reacts missing a three-point shot attempt in the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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J.R. Smith is reportedly out for three to four months. Unfortunately, backup may not come for awhile.

J.R. Smith is out for three to four months, a time frame nobody saw coming.

Smith, who is 14th all-time in career three-point field goals, hasn’t had the type of season he hoped for. After starting off the season with a series of poor defensive performances, due to a sore knee, he then entered what was perhaps the worst shooting slump before being injured in a game against the Toronto Raptors. In that game, he hyperextended the same sore knee that had him missing the extra burst he needed to close the gap between himself and the ball-handler.

Smith was bouncing back with a strong December, shooting 50.0 percent from three-point range. Nonetheless, as luck goes sometimes, Smith broke his thumb in the first game of Cleveland’s back-to-back from the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Cavs feared that he broke his thumb but when their fears were confirmed they didn’t panic. The expected recovery time for that type of injury is four to six weeks. Now, with an expected recovery time of three to four months, general manager David Griffin needs to reassess his roster.

Is the biggest need still a point guard with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving handling the ball the majority of the time? Do Iman Shumpert, 36-year-old Richard Jefferson and 36-year-old Mike Dunleavy Jr. get an uptick in minutes to replace some of Smith’s three-point production? If so, are a semi-retired Mo Williams, an unproven volume shooter in Jordan McRae and a 38-year-old center who’s out for the season enough for a decent guard, if that guard even needs to be a point guard?

What’s more than likely going to happen is a trade that will leave Cavs fans disappointed but relieved. Disappointed because a player was a part of that trade that they didn’t want to leave. Relieved because the trade greatly improved their chances of achieving three main objectives: resting James and Irving, finding a relatively young and versatile three-and-D player and finding a point guard for the second unit.

The Cavs also have to decide if they want to stick with DeAndre Liggins as the long-term starter at shooting guard in Smith’s absence. If not then there may need to be a need to keep Shumpert and trade Liggins.

It’s obviously complicated.

The Cavs won’t know exactly what thet need until they struggle without Smith, which hasn’t come yet. Unfortunately, if the team doesn’t know exactly what it needs it doesn’t know exactly who they can or trade give up in a trade.

That revelation may not happen anytime soon and the trade deadline is still two months away. Buckle up Cavs fans, this will be a long road to one of the more hyped trades by the team in recent memory.

Are we there yet?

Related Story: 7 Trades That The Cavs Can Make

What do you think the Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking for on the trade market? Let us know in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.