The Case For J.R. Smith Signing with the Lakers
It’s possible the J.R. Smith-to-the-Lakers rumors are heating up, or maybe there’s just nothing else happening in the NBA because there hasn’t been a real basketball game in a week. Either way, thanks to a LeBron James endorsement via Instagram story, we’re talking about J.R. right now. According to Marc Stein, the Lakers are expected to work out Smith (or maybe already have?) to see if he could be a useful addition to the No. 1 seed in the West. Here’s why it could actually work.
A refresher on Smith: He appeared in 11 games for the Cavs last season before he and the team mutually parted ways. Cleveland waived Smith last July, but he never signed with anyone before this season. Smith is a career 37.3% shooter from three, and in his last season as James’s teammate in 2018, he shot 37.5% from beyond the arc in 80 regular season games, including 61 starts.
Smith signing with the Lakers would be somewhat comical at first. Smith’s last big NBA moment was Game 1 of the 2018 Finals, when his fourth-quarter blunder caused one hot-take doofus to say he would never be forgiven. Smith also hasn’t played professional basketball in over a year, and L.A. is probably much more in need of a point guard then another wing player. But there are reasons to believe this could be a fit.
First off, if any team knows about the power of “redemption,” it’s the Lakers. Dwight Howard came back to L.A. with way more baggage than Smith. Dwight didn’t have one high-profile mistake, he had a history of frustrating teammates and coaches and not necessarily playing within the context expected of him. His second stint with the Lakers has been the exact opposite scenario, with Howard coming off the bench and providing nothing but hustle, spark, and energy while bonding with everyone in the locker room. J.R. may have had one bad mistake, but he’s never been a bad guy. Frankly, he doesn’t even need some kind of redemptive storyline. It’s obvious LeBron loves him, and if James of all people was able to move on from Game 1, there’s no reason for anybody else to hold a grudge against Smith.
Basketball-wise, Smith still has utility as a shooter. Having another wing against the Clippers’ stable of Kawhi, Lou, PG, and Marcus Morris certainly couldn’t hurt. This obviously all depends on if he’s in basketball shape or healthy to play, but if the Lakers receive something close to the 2018 version of Smith, they’re getting someone who can not only score, but also steal a few minutes defensively on opposing wings. (J.R. isn’t going to lock anyone down, but he’s not necessarily a turnstile either.)
Bench scoring would be wildly valuable to the Lakers. The team is still a net negative whenever LeBron sits. Smith can’t fix that by himself, but he is the kind of guy who can get hot and turn the tide of the bench himself. J.R. can’t be expected to be the super sixth man who carries LeBron-less lineups night after night. What he could do add a combustibility to the second unit that it currently lacks, and his mini-hot streaks—if they still exist—could either buy the stars a couple extra minutes of rest in a playoff game, or keep leads from dissipating.
J.R.’s postseason experience is also a pretty substantial bonus. The Lakers have plenty of playoff tested vets in LeBron, Rajon Rondo, Howard, and Danny Green. They also have unproven rotation pieces in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Caruso, and Kyle Kuzma. The one famous blunder notwithstanding, J.R. was always up to the task during his four Finals trips as LeBron’s teammate. He wasn’t the kind of guy to get played off the floor, and he shined in some big moments. He hit huge threes in Game 7 of th 2016 Finals, jumpstarting the Cavs’ second-half comeback. Smith also made one of the greatest plays in NBA history possible. The Block never happens if J.R. doesn’t vertically contest Andre Iguodala at the rim, giving LeBron the extra half second needed to complete the chasedown.
Look, is J.R. Smith going to be the difference between a championship and conference finals exit? Probably not. Is he yet another low-risk veteran signing the Lakers could make if no one else is available? Absolutely. I don’t want to oversell what Smith could bring to this team, mostly because we haven’t seen him play in over 12 months. But he would be far from a disaster. He wouldn’t completely address the Lakers’ needs, though it’s possible that player isn’t on the market. As long as the expectations are properly calibrated, Smith could have positive moments for this Lakers team. He may not be a difference maker, but maybe the No. 1 seed in the West isn’t going to find one in the buyout market, anyway.
