Rip City Project
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JR Smith hints at interest in joining the Trail Blazers

By Austin Carroll

CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 06: JR Smith #5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers attempts a layup over Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter during Game Three of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 6, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 06: JR Smith #5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers attempts a layup over Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter during Game Three of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 6, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /
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While the fit might be questionable, JR Smith could prove to have a lot left to offer a Portland Trail Blazers team struggling to save their season.

The last time JR Smith played an actual NBA game was November 19, 2018. He scored two points in a double-digit loss to the Detroit Pistons — hardly the heroic sendoff one might hope for. So much has transpired since then, including Toronto’s first championship, the summer of superstar swaps, and the Portland Trail Blazers‘ collapse to unfortunate injuries.

Smith was released just 11 games into the 2018-19 season by the Cleveland Cavaliers, in an attempt to remain underneath the luxury tax and prevent his contract from becoming guaranteed. The decision appeared mutual however, as Smith shared his desire to part ways with the team in hopes of finding a roster spot on a contender.

The calls never came in though, as Smith remained unemployed for the rest of the year. The former NBA champion and Sixth Man of the Year award winner has remained determined to find his way back into the league ever since.

https://twitter.com/ripcityproject/status/1209594318727434240

While there are certainly holes in Smith’s overall game (primarily his decision making ability), he does have a point here. Every contender in the league is looking for role players that can shoot the ball and play tough defense — and for the most part, JR actually does both quite well.

Dating back to 2013, JR has drilled 38.3 percent of his 3-point attempts, well above the league average mark. Unlike most other players, he actually improves in the postseason. Over the course of his last three playoff runs, Smith has hit 42.5 percent of shots from deep — including going 65-for-151 (43 percent) during Cleveland’s championship run in 2016.

Smith has (justifiably) earned a reputation for making boneheaded decisions, and that has led many people to believe he’s inadequate on the defensive side of things. In reality, he could hardly be considered a liability on the other end. In 2017, FiveThirtyEight analyzed how Smith is actually capable of stepping up to the plate to guard opposing stars.

When fully engaged, Smith was able to lock down even some of the league’s best scorers like Paul George and DeMar DeRozan. With no true defensive savant on the perimeter, Portland could maybe put a player of Smith’s ability to good use on defense. JR is a much better defender than a healthy Rodney Hood and Mario Hezonja, and has superior size to utilize than Kent Bazemore.

https://twitter.com/TheRealJRSmith/status/1209649036124442624?s=20

Smith responded to our call by suggesting Rip City makes a call of their own. While JR can shoot and play defense like few can, the problem has always been his ability to do so consistently. If there’s anything Portland has thrived on over the years, its the consistency this team has had from top to bottom, front office to roster. Adding a wild card like Smith could backfire and end up hurting more than helping.

But at the same time, nobody thought Carmelo Anthony had a real chance to join and help a team win games once again. Yet here we are, with Melo being a smashing success under Terry Stotts’ system. It’s not at all unrealistic to believe there’s a chance Smith could excel as a spot-up shooter and solid defender for Portland.

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Unlike Carmelo however, JR Smith doesn’t have a superstar pedigree to fall back on to convince teams he’s worth taking a chance on. Playing alongside that LeBron James led Cavaliers squad put the limelight on Smith’s bad decision-making in big moments. For some, that may be too tough a pill to swallow. For others, it might be the perfect reason to buy low on a very talented player.