J.R. Smith
When Smith gets hot, he shoots as well as Steph Curry. He can turn a game around in an instant and sometimes looks like the best player on the court. He is the only Cavalier that LeBron James says, “has the ultra-green light” on for when he can shoot. He had the same exciting tendencies during his five seasons in Denver (including one of the best dunks in team history).
While J.R. is a starter in Cleveland, during his time in Denver he was one of the best sixth men in the league. He averaged 13.7 points in 24.7 minutes during his tenure with the Nuggets.
Smith had a career high 45 against the Sacramento Kings in 2009, hitting 11 three pointers, one shy of the record.
During the 2011-12 lockout, Smith signed with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association. In a February 1 match up, Smith scored 60 points and 14 threes off the bench. Two days later, he put up 41. This led him to being selected as a starter in that season’s All-Star Game.
After the lockout Smith signed with the New York Knicks where he was reunited with his former teammate Carmelo Anthony. There he was named the 2013 Sixth Man of the Year. After four seasons in New York, Smith was traded with Iman Shumpert to the Cavs.
During his time in Cleveland, Smith still does many of the things he did in Denver — scuffle with opponents and get as hot as any shooter in the game.
Verdict: J.R. is the type of player that any team should want. If the lockout could have been avoided, there’s a chance that he could still be draining threes in the blue and gold.
