Iman Shumpert Might Start Over J.R. Smith In Game 3

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue might start Iman Shumpert in place of the struggling J.R. Smith.

Heading back to Cleveland down 0-2 in the series, Tyronn Lue is contemplating a lineup change. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Cleveland Cavaliers are considering starting Iman Shumpert in place of J.R. Smith for Game 3.

Smith has been a non-factor in the NBA Finals thus far. In Game 1, he shot just 1 for 4 from the field and finished with 3 points in 28 minutes of play. On Saturday, Tyronn Lue tried to encourage J.R. Smith to take more shots in Game 2, per Dave McMenamin.

"He’s an assassin. We’re reminding him of that. Go out there and shoot. We need him to.”"

In Game 2, Smith played even worse. He shot 0 for 2 from the floor for 0 points in 14 minutes of play. Smith also fouled sharpshooters Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant from behind the three-point line Sunday night. J.R. is now averaging more fouls per game (2.5) than points (1.5) in the Finals.

Will Shumpert be an upgrade?

Iman Shumpert hasn’t necessarily been on fire in the Finals either, averaging 5.5 points per game on 25.0 percent shooting. What Shumpert does do well is play defense. Shump is probably the best on-ball defender on the team and he can be used to guard anyone from Stephen Curry to Kevin Durant.

This will be huge for Cleveland. In the second half, LeBron James was not as aggressive going towards the rim as he was in the first half. Partly because of the Warriors better defense, and partly because James looked gassed at times trying to do everything on offense and guard Kevin Durant. Having Shumpert cover Durant and moving James over to Klay Thompson can give LeBron a small break on the defensive end.

After giving up 113 and 132 points in Game 1 and Game 2, respectively, starting defensive specialist Iman Shumpert makes a lot of sense.

Should the Cleveland Cavaliers start Iman Shumpert? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.