Since his one-game suspension for tossing soup at assistant coach Damon Jones, JR Smith has not been the player the Cleveland Cavaliers have expected him to be. To be fair, Smith has not been the player the Cavs have expected him to be for the last two full seasons.
Instead of using his short suspension to rejuvenate his season, Smith played five games of lackadaisical basketball. After those initial five games, Smith transition to the second unit. Since coming off the bench, Smith has three games in double figures and four games of five or fewer points.
The Cleveland Cavaliers need more from Smith, but with reduced minutes and a reduced role, it’ll be increasingly difficult for him to gain his traction back.