Cavaliers still without J.R. Smith, slip past Sixers 108-105
BY STONE LEXINGTON
CAVALIERS BEAT WRITER
The Cleveland Cavaliers played their second preseason game of the new NBA season Saturday night, but one player from their championship team of a season ago continues to be absent. The Cavs and shooting guard J.R. Smith have yet to agree to terms on a new contract, and the sharp-shooting marksman remains a free agent.
There hasn’t been any acknowledgment of another team offering Smith a contract, and he hasn’t participated in the Cavs’ training camp. That hasn’t stopped Smith from showing his allegiance to Cleveland, as he has been spotted at several Cleveland Indians games of late, including the Indians Game 2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday. Smith took in the game with his Cavaliers teammates, which could be seen as a sign of solidarity.
The Indians hammered the Red Sox 6-0 in that game, which isn’t much different from what the Cavs are expected to do to most of their opponents this season. Saturday night, the Cavs moved to 2-0 in the preseason with a 108-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
“I like where we’re at right now, and we’re going to continue to speed things up in the next couple weeks,” Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue said.
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving scored 15 points each, only playing roughly 18 minutes apiece that all came in the first half. The Cavs sank 13 three-pointers against Philadelphia, a total that surely would have been higher if Smith was on the court.
With Smith still unsigned, Lue said he hasn’t settled on a particular player that would replace Smith in the Cavs’ starting lineup should he not be with the team when the regular season begins on Oct. 25. Most would naturally assume that designation would goto Iman Shumpert, but Lue was noncommittal to that idea.
“J.R. here or J.R. not here, Shump has the same role on our team,” Lue said. “And that’s to come out and be a stopper every single night, and taking and making his open shots.”
Another candidate, it would seem, that could see significant time this season at shooting guard should Smith not be with the team when the season starts is Jordan McRae. The second-year guard was third in scoring in the this year’s summer league (24.3 points per game) and dropped 36 points in his only start for the Cavs a season ago. McRae has also led the Cavs in scoring in each of their first two preseason games (20 points Saturday), but on whether he would have a spot in the rotation when the regular season rolls around, Lue didn’t shed much light on that situation either.
“We’re still trying to figure that out,” Lue said. “I like what he gives us as far as offensively…Offensively, he’s definitely ready to step up to play, we just have to keep bringing him along defensively.”
Most believe the Cavs and Smith will come to an agreement before the regular season begins, looking back to as recently as last season with Tristan Thompson’s negotiations with Cleveland on a new contract. Last season, Thompson missed all of training camp and the preseason, and didn’t sign his deal until five days before the regular season started.
Smith’s situation seems eerily similar to Thompson’s from a year ago, but we all know how the Cavs’ season played out after Thompson was finally signed.
POSTED 10/08/2016 23:07
Lake County Sentinel
