Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyle Korver And J.R. Smith Let LeBron James Rest

The Cleveland Cavaliers acquisition of Kyle Korver allows the team to lower the minutes of LeBron James, especially after J.R. Smith returns.

It’s easy to talk about LeBron James’ ability to distribute the ball. He does it with a brilliance unmatched by any player in the league. When considering the physical force of nature that LeBron is, it’s unfair to imagine that the basketball gods conceived a behemoth that could calculate what’s happening on the court and throw precise passes to Kyle Korver or J.R. Smith with beauty and grace. It’s truly amazing and undoubtedly James’ greatest gift. One he’s had since he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Kyle Korver, who is on pace to finish his career with 2,100 three-point field goals, is not only eight all-time in three-point field goals made with 1,952 career threes in 14 seasons, he has the eight-best three-point field percentage all-time. Keep in mind that both of these accolades edge out sharpshooter Steve Nash, a Hall of Fame point guard who would make defenses pay for leaving him open from behind the arc.

The duo of James, who loves to spray the ball out to shooters and can do so from any angle, and Korver, who will be able to light it up from behind the line at a rate similar to the flamethrowing Channing Frye, is perfect.

What’s also perfect is that Korver will play on the wing with DeAndre Liggins, Iman Shumpert, Richard Jefferson and, in a couple of months, J.R. Smith.

The last name on this list is the most important. The Cavs have perhaps the most dominant lineup of three-point specialists when Smith returns, their starting shooting guard.

When the Cavs get a point guard, which will be before Smith returns, they’ll have a rotation that works beautifully. Liggins starts at shooting guard and hounds opposing point guards while Kyrie Irving torches defenders and takes their ankles. Shumpert, Jefferson and Korver can be subbed in at the same time to allow Liggins, James, and Kevin Love to rest. Frye subs out for Tristan Thompson. Point Guard X subs out for Kyrie.

Yet, when Smith comes back, he’ll likely reassume the starting role which will have a particularly positive impact for the Cavs.

Although it’s unfortunate that Smith is missing time with a broken thumb, there’s a silver lining. Or two.

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Smith gets to rest and deal that sore knee that’s been ailing him. There’s a possibility that will allow him to have better performance defensively as he’s able to play to best of his abilities physically. Smith’s energy on defense is what gives him his impact on that end. Combined with his size, athleticism and three-point shooting, Smith is the perfect compliment to the Big Three and Thompson in the starting lineup.

Smith also will be the final piece of a group of versatile wings that give James the chance to rest.

When Smith returns, Liggins will return to the bench and play beside Shumpert on the wing. They’re both needed as defensive aces on the perimeter. However, they’re inconsistent shooters and while they may be seen together on the court, the Cavs would be better of utilizing the three-point threat that Korver and Frye can provide in the frontcourt if the two Chicago-natives are on the court together.

A smooth rotation would be one where that weaves the best shooters and defenders in and out of the lineup while also keeping Jefferson in his place as James’ primary backup. When Irving and Thompson sit, their backups will be point guard X and Frye. So when Smith and Love sit, their backups will be some combination of Shumpert, Liggins and Korver.

Spacing and playmaking is what matters for the Cavs as their go-to lineup down the stretch will be their starting lineup or, until Smith comes back, the regular starters and Shumpert. So long as there are enough shooters on the court to counteract the players who aren’t big-time three-point threats, and a player that can create for themselves while getting the rest of the team involved, the Cavs will be satisfied with the result.

Again, what’s most important for the Cleveland Cavaliers is the rest that they’ll be able to give James, who is playing 37.2 minutes per game. Currently, James is playing his most minutes per game since he played for the Miami Heat, a franchise that struggled to bring in a backup for James that would allow him to rest. Griffin, whose shown at least as much of an ability to bring in talent in Cleveland as Pat Riley was able to bring players to South Beach, has brought in a player in Korver who will give the King more rest.

Jefferson, who has played 22.8 minutes per game so far in January is playing an additional 5.1 minutes per game in Smith’s absence and also needs to rest. Jefferson has played better when he plays 10-19 minutes per game. He shoots 34.6 percent from three-point range when playing 10-19 minutes per game, a number that dips all the way down to 24.4 percent when Jefferson plays 20-29 minutes per game.

Korver should be able to absorb those minutes, and some of James’, instantly. He can also absorb a few of the minutes given to Shumpert and Liggins as well. As a result, Liggins, Shumpert, Jefferson and Korver could be on the court for around 15 minutes per game on average. Those numbers account for Smith, who played 28.9 minutes per game before his injury, returning fully healthy.

The trade that brought Korver to Cleveland not only have the Cavs the chance to have the most prolific shooting team in the league but the chance to rest James at the same time. Having to play against a fresh James and rapid-firing from beyond the line should put fear in the hearts of the Cavs’ postseason opponents.

How would you handle the rotation? Let us know in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.