J.R. Smith: Would the Indiana Pacers Be A Good Fit?
By Evan Massey
Would the Indiana Pacers be a good fit for J.R. Smith if the New York Knicks pulled the trigger on the rumored trade?
There have been trade rumors surrounding the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks that would include both Chris Copeland and J.R. Smith in a potential trade. Both teams are trying to make a move to bolster their roster and bring in players that fit their systems, but Smith especially is a player that would come with a lot of baggage. If he did turn his attitude around, the Pacers would be getting the scoring shooting guard that they desperately need.
Would the Pacers be a good fit for the talented but trouble shooting guard?
Despite the fact that he has had a rough past year, he still has the potential to be an incredibly dangerous scorer. He was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year two years ago, and can shoot the three-pointer or get to the rim. If he decided that he wanted to turn his career around with the Pacers, there would be no doubt that he could come through and score 20 points per game this year with Paul George out for the year.
Take a look at Smith’s numbers from the last two years and see how they plummeted last year when his attitude went bad:
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/3/2014.
Whether it was untying an opponents shoes during free throws, arguing with his coach, or simply refusing to put forth effort, Smith looked incredibly immature last season. Mike Woodson made him sit the bench for a short period of time due to his attitude, and he has always had issues with his attitude throughout his career. It’s a definite concern when a player won’t work hard due to attitude problems.
Needless to say, the Pacers have had their own share of attitude issues and on-court antics with Lance Stephenson. He made a name for himself in last seasons playoff series against the Miami Heat when he decided to do his best to get under LeBron James‘ skin. The Pacers do have the locker room to help those type of attitude problems, and that could be exactly what Smith needs.
Perhaps changing roles and teams would be exactly what Smith needs to get back on track. His role in New York hasn’t really fit him well, as he isn’t able to play as aggressive as he usually would due to the offense running threw Carmelo Anthony. Indiana’s offense will run mostly through Paul George next season, but Smith would be able to take on the role that Stephenson had which would include having the ball in his hands quite a bit as well.
At 29 years of age, Smith simply doesn’t have time to waste if he wants to turn his career around to be successful. Indiana won’t be a championship contender this season, but next year they’ll have some money and their superstar back to full health. Adding Smith’s scoring ability to the lineup would be very nice if his head is on straight.
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New York’s current offense will not work out well for Smith unless he’s able to begin getting more freedom to attack on offense. He has the athletic ability and ball-handling to get to the rim and finish, which is something that he hasn’t been able to do enough of this season.
So back to the question of whether or not the Pacers would be a good fit for Smith, the answer is an obvious yes. He would be free to play his game, and changing teams would likely re-energize him as well. Indiana needs the scoring boost, and Smith could bring it.
Trading Copeland wouldn’t be the best way to bring Smith on board, but for some reason the Pacers’ organization doesn’t view Copeland as a legitimate long-term option. That may change if he continues playing at a high level, but those are the facts at this point in time. Adding Smith to the team would be a solid pickup assuming they can keep him motivated and playing his game.