LeBron James once thought J.R. Smith's shooting woes were all in the mind. Now, Dwyane Wade is convinced, it's Smith's rhythm that hasn't followed through that caused him to shoot poorly. With the Cleveland Cavaliers plummeting to 4-6, the team needed Smith's three-point range to help them win games, but it looks like he has some issues.
According to the Ohio, during the Cavaliers game against the Hawks, Smith was given the chance to deliver a three-point shot when his teammates thought he was open, but he passed on the shot to someone else. While he is known to shoot contested shots, Smith has never really said "no" to open shots either.
Dwyane Wade in JR Smith's struggles
In an interview with Dwyane Wade, Wade disclosed that he didn't know J.R. Smith that well in that part of basketball, but confirms he is good at delivering contested shots. "But one thing I do know as a basketball player is the game's rhythm. And when you’re all out of rhythm, those shots are not easy to take. So it may seem like a confidence thing, but sometimes it’s a rhythm thing," Wade added.
Cleveland Cavaliers' initial lineup
Did Tyronn Lue's decision to put J.R. Smith in the second squad affect his game? Wade believes that it's a matter of time before his teammate will be able to pick up the pace. According to Lue, the team's motto is for everyone who has open shots to deliver the ball.
"If you're getting good shots, you've got to take them," the coach said.
J.R. Smith has been struggling with his shooting skills since the start of the new season. Not much of it has been noticed during the preseason, as he keeps on opting out to play for the first squad, even after Lue asked him to replace James when he suffered an ankle injury.
Smith's reason is to be able to start working out with the second unit and familiarize himself with the system.
Smith has been vocal about Lue's decision to move him off the bench. According to him, he was disappointed after realizing Wade took his starting spot. He revealed talking about it to Tristan Thompson and said it wasn't a positive conversation.
Nevertheless, he assured everyone that he is fully cooperating with what's important is for the team to win games.
Three games into the new season, Dwyane Wade asked to be moved off the bench. He's positive that it would be best for the team and that's when Smith regained his starting spot. Unfortunately, he has not been the same player that he was in the past.
