Andrew Bogut is out and J.R. Smith is in. The Cleveland Cavaliers season rolls on.
It’s a bittersweet day for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who announced the Andrew Bogut is out for the season, including the playoffs according to USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt.
As expected, Cavs center Andrew Bogut ruled out for the remainder of the season, playoffs, included, with a fractured tibia in left leg.
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) March 8, 2017
Bogut, who sustained the injury Monday night in the Cleveland Cavaliers homestand against the Miami Heat, only managed to be on the court for 58 seconds before the unforeseeable happened. This isn’t what Bogut, or the Cavs, expected when they signed the 7-foot-0, 260 center last Thursday.
What they counted on was for Bogut to be a big body that could absorb some of the wear and tear that comes with playing in the post during a physical playoff series. It takes three such series to reach the NBA Finals.
Bogut, who has been one of the elite rim-protectors in his 12-year career, was received with mixed feelings from the Cavs fanbase after the Aussie had clashed with the Cavs, and LeBron James, on several occasions. Nonetheless, once you’re in, you’re in; when Cavs signed Bogut, they were going to embrace him. That’s why the fact that he was injured with such brevity, less than a minute into his Cavs career, there was a shock and dejection exuded from the team and the fans immediately after.
Sure, Bogut wasn’t going to play big minutes or even every night. However, when he was on the court he was a player the Cavs could count on to play solid defense and who would have found a few teammates for shots behind the arc as well.
Now, Bogut is going to be released and the team will look to sign a different center before the playoffs begin.
Related Story: Ranking The Top 5 Centers To Replace Andrew Bogut
However, on the bright side, J.R. Smith is back! According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, Smith has been cleared to return to practice and game action isn’t far behind.
Cavs G J.R. Smith has been cleared to resume full practice activity and is listed as questionable vs. Pistons on Thursday.
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) March 8, 2017
While he’s questionable to play against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, the Cleveland Cavaliers have another game Saturday against the Orlando Magic. In that game, Smith should be ready to give it a go.
Smith, who has been out since December, fractured his right thumb in the first game of a back-to-back against the Milwaukee Bucks. Though Smith hadn’t been playing at an optimal level to that point, it was understood that he was dealing with a sore knee and had missed substantial offseason training as he tried to secure what he felt to be a fair contract.
At the time of the injury, Lue had this to say:
"“We’re going to miss J.R., his effort on defense, his tough shot making”"
Boy, has he been right. Without the addition of Kyle Korver, the Cavs might not hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference as career shooting slumps from Mike Dunleavy and Richard Jefferson had them relying on Iman Shumpert to be their big three-point threat on the wing. Even with Korver, Smith would be valuable on defense with his size, athleticism and as Lue said, effort.
Remember this article from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, in which Smith mentioned watching film of Tony Allen and how Kobe Bryant got his steals by swiping up and not down?
Smith, who doesn’t waste movements on the defense end like Shumpert and has far more athleticism than Korver, is also an extraordinary shooter who makes the toughest shots more than the easier ones, it seems.
Now, lineups with Smith, who made 40.0 percent of his three-point attempts last season and Korver, who has made 48.7 percent of his threes with the Cavs, can play beside the Big Three. Every member of the Big Three shoots above 38.0 percent from long distance. The player most likely to be left open from three in these lineups, James has the top-mark in the trio, knocking in 39.8 percent of his three-point attempts.
We’ve been waiting for Smith to return for quite some time, and despite the disappointing news about Bogut, the entire NBA can celebrate “Swish” returning to the court. That is, unless you anticipate playing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs. Then this is also bittersweet news for you.
Related Story: Cavs Defense Is A Joke. J.R. Will Make It Better
What do you expect to happen in the final stretch of the season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.
* All stats referenced from www.basketball-reference.com