Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- JR Smith, the Cavaliers' starting shooting guard the last three seasons, enters training camp in a precarious position.
His playing time is in jeopardy. And he only has himself to blame.
In the run-up to the Cavs' 2018-19 training camp that starts with media day on Sept. 24, cleveland.com is taking a look at each roster player and what might be expected of him this season if this team is to survive LeBron James' departure and make a legitimate run at a playoff spot.
Smith might be one of the toughest players on this roster to peg and members of the organization are still unsure of his role. That's quite a change for Smith, especially since James used to refer to him as the team's X-factor.
This is a new season. Suddenly there are a handful of youngsters creeping up in Smith's rearview mirror, threatening to take away his playing time.
Season rewind
After a tumultuous 2016-17 season both on and off the court, Smith came to training camp eager to atone. But Dwyane Wade’s late arrival didn’t sit well with some players, including Smith.
His role was suddenly in flux. He was going to get fewer shots. And the locker room dynamics were altered.
Smith didn’t have that bounce-back season he envisioned. Instead, he plummeted even further. Statistically, it was the the second-worst season of his erratic 14-year career and an embarrassing soup-throwing incident put another black mark on a complicated resume.
Smith averaged 8.3 points on 40.3 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from 3-point range in 28.1 minutes. The postseason wasn't any better. Going into the first-round matchup against the Indiana Pacers, head coach Tyronn Lue went with newbie Rodney Hood in the starting group, choosing to bring Smith off the bench. That changed quickly, as Lue decided to lean on his championship-tested players. Only Smith never met the challenge. He tallied just 8.7 points on 34.8 percent shooting and 36.7 percent from beyond the arc.
And who will ever forget Game 1 of the Finals, one of the darkest moments in Smith's career and one of the biggest blunders in Finals history? Cleveland was never able to recover and James' frustration boiled over to the locker room, as he punched one of the boards and broke a bone in his hand.
Can JR Smith rebound from another poor season? (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Great expectations
Talk to members of the Cavs organization and they will say the same thing: Smith is "highly motivated" after two dreadful seasons.
A strong summer has him ready. At 33 years old and near the end of his career, Smith understands what’s at stake here. He needs a strong camp. If not, well, there are plenty of options behind him.
Last season, despite all of the frustration, Lue stuck by Smith. He didn’t want to lose him, understanding what "Good JR" meant for the Cavs' success. Lue also recognized that he didn’t have too many other quality alternatives. That’s not the case anymore.
George Hill, Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood, Kyle Korver and David Nwaba will all be fighting for backcourt minutes. Nwaba, a tough and rugged defender, seems primed to slide into Smith’s old role as the team’s best perimeter defender after Smith ranked 494th out of 521 NBA players in Defensive Real Plus-Minus and finished with one of the league's worst individual defensive ratings.
So what exactly is Smith’s role? Stay tuned. No one has that answer yet.
Contract status
Smith has two years and more than $30 million remaining on his contract. However, the final year is partially guaranteed at $3.8 million.
How Cleveland got him
Smith arrived with Iman Shumpert in a three-team deal between Cleveland, New York and Oklahoma City in Jan. 2015. He has been the Cavs' starting two-guard for all but 25 of the 198 regular season games he's played.
Big summer news
Smith got a new tattoo. You know the company called Supreme, right? Well, Supreme teamed up with Nike on a collaboration and tabbed Smith to be part of it. No, Nike didn't pay him for that calf tattoo. Smith just wanted some fresh ink so he went to the Bronx to get it done.
Smith also released a children’s book with his brother. The book is titled HoopSmiths and it’s based on their childhood together growing up with the game of basketball. It also features a wholesome message about the value of teamwork.
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