Los Angeles Lakers: Underrated contributors to deep 2020 NBA Playoffs run
J.R. Smith
J.R. Smith has always been an enigma.
While he’s not the most reliable of offensive weapons, he certainly can get hot in a hurry. We even saw that in the Lakers’ scrimmage on Monday, when he stepped up in LeBron and AD’s absence to deliver a dazzling shooting performance.
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The Lakers are going to need more of that moving forward. One of the biggest issues during the pre-COVID part of the 2019-20 NBA season for Los Angeles was getting consistent scoring out of their second unit. There wasn’t that true scorer who could get things going when the Lakers’ two superstars weren’t on the court.
I believe that role will ultimately fall onto Smith’s shoulders during the restart. The common thought at this moment is that Dion Waiters fits the bill, but the problem I have is that he’s all too willing to take difficult (or unnecessary) shots. That’s the role he’s trying to fill, but I’m more focused on pinpointing the efficient scorer who can go off on any given night.
Yep, that’s Smith. He’s just what the doctor ordered – an underrated contributor for the Lakers’ during their upcoming playoff run.