NBA Finals: Cavs to stick with J.R. Smith over Iman Shumpert in Game 3
Smith is struggling, but the Cavaliers' coach says the streaky shooter will start anyway
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1 min read
Cavaliers swingman J.R. Smith is having a horrendous NBA Finals. He's struggled defensively and his only basket the past two games is a single 3-pointer. This continues what has largely been a nightmare season for Smith. He's shooting a career-low overall field goal percentage, and his accuracy from behind the arc is the lowest since his rookie year.
Add it up and there was a chance Smith would come off the bench the rest of the series vs. the Warriors in favor of Iman Shumpert. However, Tyronn Lue quickly ended that speculation.
"We're not going to change our game because of who we're playing," Lue said Tuesday at The Q, where the Cavs worked out to prepare for their first Finals home game in this series.
"I'm not doing it," Lue said, when asked if he would swap out Smith for Shumpert in Game 3.
Lue's faith in Smith comes from how beneficial he's been to Cleveland's success in the past. His defense and shooting were important to the Cavs last year when they rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Golden State in the Finals. However, Smith has been dealing with injuries, and if he continues to struggle this way the Cavs are going to have a difficult time fighting back in this series.
It's good to see Lue still believes Smith can bounce back, but it's also possible that adding Shumpert to the starting lineup wouldn't change much. Shumpert definitely has been a better defender but is so limited offensively that Smith still may be a better gamble.
