3 contenders who should look into J.R. Smith for postseason run
By Dalton Sell
Philadelphia 76ers
For a team with high hopes of contending atop the NBA’s Eastern Conference before this season began, the Philadelphia 76ers spiraled out of control quickly. Injuries played a significant part in this as the team spent most of the season banged up, but they had many other issues, particularly on offense. With the postseason potentially on the horizon, the team should consider adding J.R. Smith for much-needed scoring.
One area the team could use a boost in is their shooting from 3-point territory, where they shot 36.2 percent as a team, good enough for 14th in the league. While those numbers appear to be serviceable, it is still an area they could use some help in. Between Ben Simmons, Al Horford, and Joel Embiid, the team had a spacing issue all season and could use another prolific 3-point shooter to try and help spread the floor.
Related Story. Revisiting aftermath of nixed Kyrie Irving, Paul George deal. light
Behind the backcourt comprised of Ben Simmons and Josh Richardson, Philadelphia’s guard depth aside from Furkan Korkmaz for his lethal three-point shooting, is questionable. Alec Burks took a significant step back after being acquired from the Golden State Warriors mid-season, and players such as Shake Milton, Zhaire Smith, and Matisse Thybulle are all inexperienced in a postseason scenario.
Not to mention that the Philadelphia 76ers’ bench ranked 26th in the league in points this season at 31.4 per game. Their reserves were an area the genuinely hurt them in terms of scoring, something they could use an upgrade at.
The six-seeded 76ers looked depleted when the NBA suspended play in March and had been written off by many. Still, this Philadelphia team could make some noise when at full strength, no matter the seeding.
Adding a guy like J.R. Smith could create another valuable piece off of the bench to spark some offense, particularly from behind the arc. For a team that dug themselves into a pretty deep hole before the suspension, signing Smith would not make them immediate title contenders, but it could be a step in the right direction.