JR Smith recently claimed that he’s better than 85% of the current NBA players, However, he’s having a tough time finding a spot where to prove that.
Smith only made a handful of appearances last season before being exiled by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were unable to find any takers on a potential trade.
And now that he’s a free agent and two-thirds of the season are already in the books, there hasn’t been much traction or interest on his services either.
So, with him looming around, wanting to play and so many contending teams looking for scoring, he might get another shot. Where? Let’s break it down:
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers have been playing at a high level this season, but just when they got Victor Oladipo back from injury, they got a major blow on Jeremy Lamb’s gruesome knee injury that’ll keep him out for the season.
The Pacers have enough depth in the backcourt but they’re still lacking another scoring with Lamb out and Oladipo struggling to get back in shape.
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets have fully embraced small-ball, and while some may think that may be a risky gamble, they’re actually thriving thanks to the pace and space offense.
So, JR Smith is a tailor-made player for Mike D’Antoni’s system. He plays solid defense and knocks down shots from deep. Also, he’s usually relentless to play long possessions, so he’ll fit right away.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are the most stacked team in the NBA right now. They could literally put together two starting fives with the players they have right now.
However, they could still try and sign JR Smith to prevent the Lakers from making a run at him. They may not need him that much, but he could be an X-factor on a Lakers-Clippers matchup, so there’s no need to take any chances.
Philadelphia Sixers
It looks like the Philadelphia 76ers are going to be without Ben Simmons for the foreseeable future, so Elton Brand must make a move and try to find some offense elsewhere.
Even with Simmons on the team, the Sixers were struggling to get anything going from beyond the arc. Thus, Smith’s addition couldn’t hurt their chances as one of the best shooters still available in the market.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers took a huge risk by signing Carmelo Anthony and it has paid off so far. So, with their season on the line, why not make another gamble and sign JR Smith?
The Blazer’s offense has looked stalled from time to time and they’ve struggled to hit big shots. Nobody loves big, tough, heavily-guarded shots more than Smith. It’s a risk, but they don’t have much to lose at this point.
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