With a career-long reputation of never being hesitant to hoist up a shot from anywhere on the court, it’s probably safe to assume that not many people see JR Smith as someone with a high basketball IQ.
It sounds harsh, but it has to be accurate. After all, his approach offensively is simple: when in doubt, shoot the ball.
Whatever it is, though, it can’t be denied that Smith is also doing plays from time to time that may prove he’s actually sneaky good when it comes to coming for the ball. One particular play showcased it Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It was during a crucial sequence in the fourth quarter. The Thunder cut the Cleveland Cavaliers’ lead to five with under 25 seconds left after a Paul George three-pointer, and then followed it up with a steal and a quick attempt a three. As Alex Abrines missed the shot, the ball was tapped around and appeared to head out of bounds, until Smith hustled and made a smart decision of quickly throwing it towards the other side, where teammate Larry Nance Jr. was well-positioned for a fast break dunk.
He made a good sling, one that should catch the eye of the Cleveland Browns.
All kidding aside, Smith has been performing well as of late. With 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting (all made field goals are threes) in Tuesday’s 120-112 win, he now has seven double-digit scoring and seven 50-percent or better shooting performances in his last 10 games. In that span, he’s averaging 13.2 points per game and making 51 percent of his shots.