Hoops Habit
Fansided

Cleveland Cavaliers: J.R. Smith Has Been On Fire

By Jamyson Frierson

Jan 8, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) drives to the basket past Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio (9) in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 8, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) drives to the basket past Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio (9) in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

 J.R Smith has been scoring at will in his last three games for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are finally playing the way the league and fans have become accustomed too.

Kyrie Irving is crossing over opponents, Iman Shumpert is playing the tough perimeter defense that we saw last season, LeBron James is playing like one of the best players in the NBA as usual, Kevin Love is starting to figure out his role and Tristan Thompson is finally living up to the contract he signed before the season.

While it has been “business as usual” for them, there is one player that is proven to be the X-factor. Well, at least within the last four games.

His name is J.R. Smith.

Related Story: 25 Best Players to Play for the Cleveland Cavaliers

In his last four games, Smith is averaging 22.5 points per game while hitting 22-of-42 from three-point range. That’s 52.4 percent! Besides Love, Smith has seemed to benefit the most from the return of Irving. He seemed to take tougher shots and struggled to find his rhythm with Mo Williams or Matthew Dellavedova handling the ball.

With Irving, the Cavaliers are able to space the floor and it allows Smith to get wide open shots and play his own game. It was one of the major reasons he struggled in the NBA Finals last season. Andrew Wiggins had no answer for Smith as he scored 27 points in 19 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.

It also marked three straight games of 20 points or more which is the most he’s had since being a Cavalier. The last time he did this was during the 2013-14 season with the New York Knicks (24, 32, 32). The Cavaliers’ win over the 76ers Sunday makes them 41-4 as a fully healthy team.

Smith has definitely added to that with his confidence and three-point shooting. His recent scoring has also helped Shumpert. Instead of him having to worry about scoring, he can just focus on making plays on the defensive end. Anything else is a bonus.

It also takes less emphasis off of Irving and James. They only scored 26 points combined against the Timberwolves and still got the win. They were both able to rest midway through the fourth quarter. Smith had a chance to extend his streak to four 20-point games on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers, but he felt short by six points. He finished with 14 points and only went 4-of-12 from three-point range.

More hoops habit: Every NBA Team's Best Bargain Contract

The Cavaliers have been on a tear and that does not bold well for the rest of the NBA.

Home/Cleveland Cavaliers