The Cleveland Cavaliers were stunned by a motivated Indiana Pacers team in Game 1 of their first-round series. Fortunately, they managed to bounce back with a clutch victory in Game 2 thanks to a dominant performance from forward LeBron James.
Of course, James’ heavy workload on offense took some opportunities for shots away from guys like shooting guard J.R. Smith. While he unsurprisingly had some discrepancies with his role on offense, Smith still understands that his biggest contributions can be made on defense, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin:
“I was kind of pissed that I only had [five] shots, honestly,” Smith said. “But fortunately it worked out. My effort on offense, it’ll come. But my defense, this team needs my defense more than anything. But I’ll take the win more than anything. The postseason is about getting one win at a time, and that’s what we’ve got to do.”
His efforts on the defensive end have not gone unnoticed by head coach Tyronn Lue.
“He’s not scared to hit people. You’ve got to hit people in this league. It’s a contact sport, and guys have to understand and realize that.”
Smith managed to hit two of his five shots from the field and one free throw to register a mere five points which is a step back from the 11 shots he got up in Game 1. Fortunately, his efforts on defense resulted in two steals and a block on the night.
Regardless, his comments were expected considering his trigger-happy reputation. However, it seems he has done a solid job of picking up his intensity considerably on the defensive end. Needless to say, this is going to be key for the Cavs moving forward against a player like shooting guard Victor Oladipo. Furthermore, do not be surprised if Smith makes up for his lack of involvement by shooting every opportunity he gets in Game 3.