Cleveland Cavaliers: Can James Jones Hold Down The Fort Until Kyle Korver Returns?

James Jones is the best option to replace Kyle Korver while the latter deals with a foot injury. It’s time for the Cleveland Cavaliers to start giving “Champ” more playing time.

To piggyback off an earlier post, J.R. Smith is expected to be on the bench until Kyle Korver returns from a foot injury as head coach Tyronn Lue wants to bring a shooter off the bench. However, Korver doesn’t know how long his injury will keep him out. Rather than keeping Smith (who is a starter) on the bench, could the Cleveland Cavaliers play James Jones in Korver’s place?

This question becomes even more relevant if Korver’s foot injury is one that will linger.

Jones, who is shooting 54.7 percent from three-point range this season and 40.2 percent from three-point range for his career, is the biggest catch-and-shoot three-point threat the Cavs have outside of Smith and Korver.

Jones is capable of shooting threes off-the-hip at an exceptional rate and those type of performances aren’t even considered vintage. They’re considered the norm.

Watching him the 2011 NBA Three-Point Contest, which Jones won, one can get an up-close view of James’ shooting form and realize that his release is consistent, he has the same mechanics, the same stroke and same lift just about every single time.

This type of consistent shooting is what allowed him to beat out Ray Allen and Kevin Durant, among a couple of others.

It doesn’t matter what the stakes are either. Jones will knock down his shots in the biggest moments and the biggest games. Compare his regular season three-point field goal percentage of 40.2 to his postseason percentage of 39.1. There’s not a significant difference.

He can knock down shots from three as efficiently as Korver with the same amount of time and space. While Korver does a lot of running, Jones doesn’t play too often and his legs should be fresh enough to do just as much running.

But can Jones hit midrange shots off-the-catch as efficiently as Korver?

Over the last two seasons, Jones made 43.8 percent of his shots from 16-24 feet in 2014-2015 and 53.8 percent of his shots from the same distance last year. Korver has hit 50.2 percent of his shots from that distance this year.

What could play a big difference in those shots is Jones taking those shots in the flow of the offense or off of plays designed for Korver. As long as Jones’ feet are set before the shot attempt, he has a great chance of making them.

When looking at the other parts of their games, like Korver, Jones understands where to be on the floor so that he can be an available outlet for a pass. Where some shooters will stay stationary for the whole possession, Jones will work his way around the perimeter.

In addition, Jones is a lanky defender at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan. His age and lack of both strength and athleticism will allow him to get beat off-the-dribble or backed down in the post at times, however his length and understanding of team defense help him compensate. Like Korver, his intelligence, combined with his length and timing, give him the chance to be a solid if unspectacular defender for the Cavs.

This is what “Champ” is on the roster for. Sure, he’s a veteran leader and one of LeBron James’ good friends. However, he’s also a dangerous three-point shooter. If Lue needs a three-point shooter on the bench, he needs to look no further than a highly qualified shooter in Jones.

Should James Jones be getting playing time while Kyle Korver is out? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.