J.R. Smith gets another shot at redemption, this time with the Los Angeles Lakers
J.R. Smith is back! That means he gets another chance at redemption by helping LeBron James, this time on the Los Angeles Lakers. I, for one, am looking forward to this latest edition of the Purple and Gold. It will not be the same team it was 3-4 months ago. That is for sure.
When Smith is on his game and engaged, he can shoot and score from anywhere on the floor and can even play some viable defense. Even though it’s been roughly 20 months since he last played an NBA game, the Lakers wouldn’t take a flier on Smith if they didn’t see any possible upside to the move.
At the very least, let’s give the Lakers the benefit of the doubt here. Smith is a professional and will likely be ready to contribute despite the lack of active playing time in the NBA.
The last time we saw J.R. Smith
Albeit, one of the lasting memories that we have of Smith was during the 2018 NBA Finals in which he had a blunder in Game 1 in which he forgot the score of the game in the waning moments of regulation.
Instead of pushing the ball up-court and making a play, he blew it by not being aware of the situation. Then, dribbling into a corner and making a bad pass.
That was 2018. This is now, though. The Los Angeles Lakers have a fantastic chance at winning the NBA Championship this season. By adding Smith, they are bringing in a savvy veteran that is motivated to win now more than ever.
We should point out several key reasons why this is a great idea. This man is fourth in the history of 3-pointers in a single postseason, with 65 made. He can be a streaky shooter, which can be a good thing. He may put up like 5-10 3-point shot attempts per game, depending on how much wiggle room he’s given. On any given night, he could make three or four in a row to help give his team that extra scoring off the bench.
Smith is a gamer. He shines brightest when the game is on the line (for the most part). He helped the Cleveland Cavaliers win a championship in 2016, and will be doing the same with the Lakers when the NBA restarts.
Smith has played with LeBron before and they know each other both on and off the floor. That will help. They won’t need time to get to know each other and time to mesh on the basketball court. Smith will be able to come in and fit right in. He can be the ultimate x-factor for the Lakers.
Could we see him get hot in the playoffs, perhaps in a big game moment? Will he hit a game-winning 3-point shot with the defense keyed in on LeBron James and Anthony Davis?
With the NBA returning and the unknown that surrounds the 2020 NBA Playoffs, there could be a record number of unsung heroes that emerge over the next couple of months as the league restarts. Could one of those be J.R. Smith, saving the day for the Los Angeles Lakers?