J.R. Smith Says It Was a Struggle to Pass During Game 1 Because He Was So Hot
Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard/human roulette wheel J.R. Smith went off Wednesday night, dropping unholy fire from behind the arc on the way to a 97-89 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
With Kyrie Irving hobbled, Smith's hot shooting night played a pivotal role in the Cavaliers taking Game 1. He hit contested shots and found room to operate, and—incredibly—his 28 points for the night accounted for all of Cleveland's bench scoring.
This is not how a title contender is supposed to win, but, then again, no title contenders before Wednesday night had a pulsating-with-nuclear-power J.R. Smith come off the bench.
Here's Smith's night, summed up in one celebration, via Uproxx's Andy Isaac:
Smith relished the victory but, aside from holstering his six-shooter of glory, showed evidence of his more reserved, post-New York Knicks self after the game. For one, he acknowledged that his ability to transcend our mortal plane doesn't relinquish him of his less exciting duties, such as passing.
As USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt tweeted, Smith said it's hard to pass when he's shooting so well, but somehow—some way—he must find the strength to pass.
Indeed, a way must be found.
Then again, telling an on-fire J.R. Smith to pass on an open-ish shot is like placing a wounded Brachiosaurus in front of a Tyrannosaurus rex and asking it to let the Velociraptors nibble first. It goes against millennia of evolutionary hard-wiring and instincts, so the fact that passing was even on Smith's radar after last night's game is a testament to how far he's come since joining Cleveland.
Of course, according to LeBron James, Smith's career renaissance can easily be attributed to one person: LeBron James.
James and Smith joined each other postgame to field questions from the press. The media marveled over Smith—irascible problem child that he was—and how he managed to put his past behind him and score so many points Wednesday night.
James said he didn't worry about Smith's reputation coming to the Cavaliers. He knew he would rehabilitate this baby bird:
"You get him here and I'll take care of it," James said, describing his opinion on Cleveland's trade for Smith. "You get him here, I got him."
This is the face you make when a guy your age positions himself as your foster father:
The LeBron James Foster Home has found its motto: "You get him here, I got him."
On the other hand, there are some Smith-isms and habits the LeBron Reformatory can never change, such as his preference for shooting the most difficult shot possible.
On Thursday, he told ESPN's Dave McMenamin he finds contested shots more fun:
To this I can only reiterate to J.R. the wise words once heard on the last day of school: "H.A.G.S., Stay Cool, Never Change"
Dan is on Twitter. This is J.R.'s team now.
