Why J.R. Smith Would Be A Great Fit In Boston

Free agent shooting guard J.R. Smith would be the perfect acquisition for a Boston team in need of outside shooting.

When the rumor mill swirled this weekend with reports of the Boston Celtics having interest in adding the services of free agent shooting guard J.R. Smith, a ripple of fear swept through the underbelly of The Green’s fan base. Conversations with fans around the city displayed the fear that the Boston faithful would have towards adding such an enigmatic personality in the veteran marksman. However, when many of these supporters are asked to summarize Smith, they think of the careless New York Knicks gunner who built a reputation as someone prone to late nights with rappers such as Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz. They envision someone whose progress had been halted by thoughtless antics such as untying the shoelace of another player at the free throw line.

What they do not consider, however, are the ways in which Smith has evolved as both a teammate and a player in his two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has morphed into a sharpshooter from deep and a charismatic, high-energy contributor to a cohesive unit off of the floor. Smith played a crucial role in leading the Cavaliers to their first championship in franchise history last June, and would be a considerable addition to a Boston team in need of outside shooting. That is, if Boston had the funds necessary to acquire him. The Celtics only have $9 million of cap space available to use for a player such as Smith, well below his requested minimum salary of $15 million for next season.

However, despite general manager Danny Ainge’s inability to simply reach out an offer the 31-year-old Smith the contract that he commands, let us consider why adding him would be such a welcomed signing for the Celtics. First of all, this acquisition would bring a legitimate lights out shooter to a team which finished the 2015-16 season 28th in the NBA in three-point percentage. Smith shot the three-pointer at a tremendous 40 percent clip during the regular season before impressively upping that percentage to 43 percent once the postseason commenced.

These numbers came with Smith averaging 30.7 minutes per game while hoisting up approximately 6.6 three-pointers per contest. As of now, the Celtics do not have a volume shooter with the proven accuracy that Smith presents. Newly acquired small forward Gerald Green shot just 32.3 percent from deep with the Miami Heat last season, second-year man R.J. Hunter hit just 30.2 percent of his outside looks, and small forward Jae Crowder made just 33.6 percent of his three-pointers despite taking five outside shots per contest.

Adding Smith to the mix would provide head coach Brad Stevens with a certifiably consistent outside threat to work with, improving the Celtics ability to space the floor and create room for the pick-and-roll tandem of Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford to operate. This duo would be considerably more effective if Thomas had a feared three-point shooter on the perimeter to kick it out to in times of need, an option that Smith would provide that the likes of Crowder or shooting guard Avery Bradley (36.1 percent from three-point distance) simply can not.

Additionally, Smith is remarkably reliable with the ball. His turnover percentage of 6.3 was the lowest mark in the NBA last season, a remarkable improvement compared with his astounding 14.4 percent turnover rate in 24 games with the Knicks at the beginning of the 2014-15 season.

In the process of showcasing his trustworthiness, Smith enjoyed a plethora of breakout performances in the postseason as well. Cleveland fans will not soon forget his obliteration of the Atlanta Hawks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, in which he paced the Cavaliers to a 25-point victory with 7-13 shooting from deep, or his five made three-pointers in a Game 3 triumph over the Golden State Warriors in a critical Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Most importantly, Smith left each of those games without a single turnover, emphasizing the ability to avoid blemishes that are inevitable for most high-volume shooters in the league.

Prying Smith away from Cleveland would also represent a huge step forward in lessening the current beast of the Eastern Conference. Despite standing at a contract impasse, the Cavaliers will likely reach a compromise with Smith on a deal prior to or early on the regular season simply based on the fact that his chemistry with LeBron James & Co. is so effective. Smith was a crucial contributor to the team’s title chase, and without him, Cleveland would be losing a substantial focal point of their offensive agenda.

Next: Is R.J. Hunter a Good Shooter?

His lethalness on the outside created space for James and point guard Kyrie Irving to penetrate. With James’ unparalleled passing acumen, he was able to find Smith in the perfect scoring positions on a multitude of occasions last season, making nearly impossible assists. Their relationship has developed to the point where James can find Smith for open shots similar to how a quarterback connects with his star wide receiver, and stripping away this asset would throw a hurdle in the path of James’ planned quest for his fourth career championship.