NBA Rumors: Indiana Pacers Smart To Avoid JR Smith Amid Character Concerns
Several teams including the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks have been linked to free agent shooting guard J.R. Smith, but one team that seems to have smartly removed itself from contention is the Indiana Pacers.
According to Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld, the Pacers aren't interested in Smith solely because of character issues. It isn't as if the Pacers wouldn't like Smith's deadly three-point shot coming off their bench, but ignoring him in the name of team unity seems like a good idea.
Smith has been looked at as a problem child for much of his career. The biggest issue has been selfishness on the court, as there appear to be times when he freelances for his own personal gain. That may work for some teams since he is supposed to be a bench scorer, but that mentality wouldn't jive with the Pacers.
Indiana has been a pleasant surprise this season with a record of 17-11 and it has gotten the job done thanks to a consistent team effort. The closest thing the Pacers have to a superstar is five-category producer Danny Granger, but they get significant production from seven players every night.
Most team are happy to have two or three players carry the load in any given game, but the Pacers need a multitude of players to excel in order to succeed. If there were a guarantee that Smith would join the team and mesh with Indiana's playing concept then he would be a good fit, but he has proven time and time again to be a handful.
The way he acted in China this season was reprehensible. Clearly Smith wanted to get back to the NBA as soon as possible, but the sentiment is that he purposely behaved poorly in order to get released by his Chinese team. That ultimately didn't happen and he had to finish the season, but it calls his commitment into question.
Aside from Granger and Paul George, the Pacers don't have anyone capable of hitting the three consistently, so it's understandable why some fans might be clamoring for Smith. At the same time, though, the Pacers aren't the type of team who chucks up three pointers with reckless abandon, making Smith a poor fit all around.
Perhaps teams around the league aren't taking the Pacers seriously due to their lack of star power, but while they are currently mired in a skid, they have the pieces to surprise some teams. Maybe Indiana isn't exactly a title contender as it currently stands, but bringing in Smith wouldn't get it any closer.
Whether we like to admit it or not, destructive attitudes can often affect the way teams play. That very thing seems to be happening in Los Angeles right now as the Lakers are dealing with the craziness of Metta World Peace. The last thing the Pacers need is a me-first guy, so giving Smith the cold shoulder is a great move.
