When the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired J.R. Smith, they did so as a throw in for the guy they really wanted in Iman Shumpert.
Now, Shumpert has done exactly what was asked of him: knock down shots and defend like a monster. The Cavs, however, got a greater and unexpected boost from J.R. Smith, and in terms of his effectiveness on the floor, has been playing like the Sixth Man of the Year for the Knicks from the 2012-13 season.
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In his full year with the Cavs, he’s averaged 12.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.6 three-pointers per game. On top of that, he’s also set to break Wesley Person’s single-season Cavalier record for three-pointers made. Currently, Smith sits at 190, which is a pair of triples behind Person’s 192 triples in a season.
The Cavs have just five games remaining, including a back-to-back against Milwaukee and Indiana before also taking on Chicago during the weekend to close out the regular season road schedule. The end of the season is almost near, and a few more accolades before the real season starts couldn’t hurt the confidence of Smith, who struggled mightily in last year’s NBA Finals.