J.R. Smith has chance for bench glory for Cavs if he’s unselfish

J.R. Smith has proven that he can be a key contributor off the bench throughout his career, and if he accepts that he’s getting older, could display that again on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

For almost all of the games he’s been physically available for the Cleveland Cavaliers since being acquired in a mid-season trade in 2014-15, J.R. Smith has been the starting shooting guard.

There’s been plenty of serious highs and lows, as Smith has taken turns as both Cleveland fan favorite/cult hero and uber-inefficient-deadweight-waste-of-starting-minutes-two-guard. To put it plainly, as other KJG writers have demonstrated, you truly never know what you’re getting from Smith, both on and off the floor.

With LeBron James now playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Smith can take one of two approaches going into next season: either check out, or show he has more left in the tank and showcase he can be a bench contributor and be a good teammate.

If he is honest with himself, he would be willing to tell head coach Tyronn Lue that he can come off the bench and let potentially Rodney Hood or maybe Cedi Osman have starting minutes.

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Dwyane Wade (who was eventually traded mid-season last year) was really productive last season for Cleveland after coming to Lue and asking to come off the pine. The same move for Smith could really provide his career and the team a considerable lift, and could limit his risk for the team overall.

Smith’s fresh off two seasons in which he had 8.6 and 8.3 points per game and has had the worst (8.1) and second-worst (8.5) PER of his career, per Basketball Reference. On a grand scale and in the postseason, it’s been rough, and Smith’s obviously had his share of mental blunders.

In spurts, though, he can still be a bench microwave and can provide perimeter quality defense against 2’s and predominantly sharpshooting 3’s. If Cleveland again chose to start Smith for a considerable stretch of the season over its young players such as Hood, Osman, David Nwaba and a stable player in George Hill who can be an on-court mentor, that’d be really hurting the team.

Lue does not have Kyrie Irving or James in the starting lineup now, and playing a potentially veteran but underwhelming Hill-Smith starting backcourt doesn’t allow Cleveland to develop players properly. In addition, Smith thrived playing next to Irving, who put so much pressure on the opposing defense with his penetration and shooting ability, that Smith was able to have so much room to get open above the break and in the corner for easy knockdown looks.

The same sort of scenario could apply with Smith playing in a lineup with Sexton at the controls, and willing passers in Nwaba or Kyle Korver either next to Smith at the 2 or 3. Smith could feasibly demonstrate that he can be a team player, a willing off-ball defender and in some instances, capable playmaker after close-outs while being in a bench role on a championship contender.

Playing against second units especially, Smith is able to get into the lane better off the bounce, and make things happen for himself and others more efficiently. In doing so, he could get Jordan Clarkson, Channing Frye, Ante Zizic or Tristan Thompson quality looks.

It seems reasonable for Cleveland to deal both Smith and Korver (due to their 2019-2020 team-friendly contracts) by the trade deadline next season, and showing that he can accept not starting would be a nice career PR move by the hot-and-cold almost 33 year-old Smith.

As KJG’s Nathan Beighle recently suggested, “J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver would both be on the market for the right price” in reference to the Houston Rockets potentially acquiring both via trade.

Smith on the Rockets could be able to feast in the corners with an unlimited bench green light from lasers thrown to him by either a staggered lineup featuring either Chris Paul or James Harden, along with solid passer Eric Gordon.

Even though he struggled the last two seasons overall with his shooting consistency, Smith did shoot 45.5 and 50.0 percent on corner three-point attempts, per Basketball Reference.

For his career, he’s shot 41.5 percent on corner threes.

In Houston, that number could be even higher than 50.0 percent with how open he could be, and even if he’s not open, he can still make them.

Point being, if Smith makes a team-friendly move and accepts a bench role, it could bode really well for both the development of young perimeter players and show he’s willing to sacrifice.

To win championships, its paramount to have players sacrifice for the betterment of the team. Smith could be a Wade or Jeff Green-like scorer and at least above average off-ball defender for somebody off the bench next season, if his mind is right.

Your move, Swish.