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Cleveland Cavaliers: JR Smith has finally broken out of his shooting slump

By Nathan Beighle

CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 6: JR Smith #5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball during the preseason game against the Indiana Pacers on October 6, 2017 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 6: JR Smith #5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball during the preseason game against the Indiana Pacers on October 6, 2017 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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JR Smith has scored over 10 points per game in the Cleveland Cavaliers last three straight games.

JR Smith, one of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ most lethal weapons, has struggled to start the season. He’s starting to come out of one of his worst shooting slumps of his career, and it should help revive the Cavaliers season.

Following the Cavaliers first game, JR Smith shot less than 35% from the field in nine straight games. Throughout those nine games, Smith actually shot exactly 33.3% from the field in six straight. One important key to Smith’s game is that he is very dependent on the three-point line and his teammates.

Smith has hoisted up 91 shots this season, and 62 of those have been from behind the arc. At times, Smith is far too reliant on his deep ball. Without his three-point shot dropping, Smith’s value is drastically decreased.

In the Cavaliers first ten games, Smith had made just 11 threes which turns out to be 1.1 per game. For the last four straight seasons, Smith had hit well over 2 triples per game. Recently, Smith showed why that is true. In Smith’s last three games, he’s hit twelve threes and helped the Cavaliers win two of their last three.

Smith is a streaker player. He goes through these slumps, but when Smith starts to make shots, regardless of the stage or specific game, he gains confidence. Just like in this game, Smith’s first three buckets were all assisted on which got him going and gave him the confidence to hit this crucial shot even with time remaining on the shot clock.

As crazy as it sounds, JR Smith basically only plays alongside LeBron James. The two go hand-in-hand. Smith excels with James’ playmaking, and James excels with Smith’s shooting. Of Smith’s 28.5 minutes per game this season, James has accompanied him on the floor for 26.3 of them. These two are dynamic forces for the Cavaliers.

With Smith finally coming out of his slump, the Cavaliers should be able to easily turn around their 3-5 start. The Cavaliers are undefeated this season when Smith hits four or more triples, so getting Smith going should be a priority for the Cleveland Cavaliers moving forward.

Must Read: Three silver linings from the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 5-7 start

JR Smith has found his stroke, and hopefully, the Cavs continue to find the win column.