After their 114-93 loss to the Orlando Magic, the Cleveland Cavaliers have decided to change their starting lineup, bringing back J.R. Smith as a starter while veteran Dwyane Wade will now come off the bench. Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Tyronn Lue said the move came at the request of Wade, who is averaging just 5.7 points and 3.3 assists in 23.7 minutes of play as the team’s starting shooting guard. “It's a class act for him to come to me,” Lue said. Wade, for his part, said it’s better to make a move earlier rather than later, adding that he can probably be better playing alongside the second unit.
Wade’s output this season was far from his performance in his only season with the Chicago Bulls, where he averaged 18.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per outing. Earlier, Wade signed with the Cavaliers after getting a buyout from the Bulls because he was promised a spot in the starting lineup.
Smith expressed displeasure over new role
The move will also help bring back Smith’s confidence. In the Cavs’ first three games, Smith struggled off the bench, averaging just 6.3 points and 2.7 rebounds on 33.3 percent shooting from the floor. In their loss to the Magic, Smith scored just two points on 1-of-6 shooting from the floor. Earlier, Smith expressed displeasure over the Cavaliers’ decision to relegate him to the bench, saying he became emotionally drenched.
However, taking on a sixth man role was not new to Smith, who started his career off the bench with the Denver Nuggets. During the 2012-13 season, the 6-foot-6 Smith won the NBA Sixth Man of Year Award after averaging 18.1 points per game off the bench for the New York Knicks. Last season, Smith averaged 8.6 points per game after missing 41 games due to injury.
He was the Cavs’ starting shooting guard in the past three seasons, helping the team advance to the NBA Finals three straight times.
Derrick Rose out two games
After missing their game against the Magic due to a sprained ankle, point guard Derrick Rose will not play on the Cavs’ back-to-back nights against the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets.
According to Lue, the team will take its time on Rose to ensure that he’s feeling good before he returns to the court. With Rose out, the Cavs suddenly became thin at the point guard position, with veteran Jose Calderon as their only true playmaker. Aside from Calderon, Smith, Wade, and Iman Shumpert may share ball-handling duties until Rose returns.
