While just about every player on the Cleveland Cavaliers must prove something, JR Smith and Isaiah Thomas certainly have the most to prove this season.
Each of these two players has had an extremely intriguing offseason. For starters, the Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Isaiah Thomas while sending away their superstar Kyrie Irving in the blockbuster trade of the summer. Then, more recently, they named their starting lineup, that didn’t include JR Smith.
For Thomas, his trade was only the tip of the iceberg. Over the last couple weeks, Isaiah Thomas has had harsh words towards his old franchise. Thomas has had his fair share of not being wanted over his NBA career, but after the best season of his career, his stardom was put into question when coupled with a pick for one of the East’s top guards. Thomas was bitter. Overall, Thomas knew it was business, but he must make Danny Ainge know he made a mistake. Lee Jenkins, a fantastic writer for Sports Illustrated, penned Thomas’ story brilliantly.
Here is an excerpt from that story.
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"“I’ve been looking at this wall for five hours,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens texted Thomas after the trade, “trying to figure out what to say to you.” When Sacramento let Thomas walk in 2014, he left town telling himself, “F— Sacramento. I’m about to kill those dudes.” When Phoenix exiled him the following winter, he pledged, “O.K., now they’re gonna get it.” But there will be no revenge tour this time. “Boston is going to be all love,” he vows, with one exception. “I might not ever talk to Danny again. That might not happen. I’ll talk to everybody else. But what he did, knowing everything I went through, you don’t do that, bro. That’s not right. I’m not saying eff you. But every team in this situation comes out a year or two later and says, ‘We made a mistake.’ That’s what they’ll say, too.”"
He vows to make Boston know they made a mistake. The only way to do that is to take them out in the postseason. Taking them out might not cut it though. Thomas must help the King reclaim the throne in Cleveland, and it is almost an impossible task to take down the Warriors. But, for Boston to truly have made a crucial mistake, he must help LeBron win his fourth ring.
For Smith, it is all about excelling as a playmaker. Cleveland.com reported that he was “absolutely” frustrated when talking about his reported benching. The Cavaliers went with the recent signee, Dwyane Wade, who played with LeBron James in Miami for four seasons, instead. Smith will join Tristan Thompson on the bench, both were starters for the Cavaliers last season.
That said, even if Smith enjoys his role on the bench, he must prove himself this season. For the last three seasons, Smith has run to the corner and shot threes. He hasn’t been forced to be a full-time playmaker since his last season in New York almost a half a decade ago. But, can that old, playmaking Smith be resurrected?
The former Sixth Man of the Year winner scored 18.1 points per game for the New York Knicks during the 2012-2013 season. Although his threes per game have increased since that season, Smith shot almost 5x more two-point shots that season than this past one. He nearly shot double the amount of shots in general. Smith’s usage, since his time in New York, has brutally declined, and it will be intriguing to see if it can bounce back.
Smith, who dealt with a wide array of issues last season, had his worst year as a professional basketball player. This is why he must prove himself this season. That, and Smith will be making over $12 million this next season, so he must prove his worth.
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While Thomas is looking for revenge, Smith might just be looking to reclaim his starting role. This season will have multiple dynamic storylines, and the production of these two might be one.