J.R. Smith won’t face any repercussions from the league for a hard foul on Al Horford in Tuesday’s Game 2, according to an ESPN report. Horford was in the air late in the fourth quarter when Smith shoved him from behind, causing him to crash to the court. The officials called a flagrant 1 on Smith after a video review.
Smith agreed with the call when interviewed after the game, admitting he “blatantly” shoved Horford.
“It wasn’t like I was trying to low-bridge him or something to make sure he didn’t get it. It was a good, hard foul,” Smith said. “I can understand why they gave me a flagrant.”
There’s more today from Cleveland:
- Smith has been through a lot of scrapes in his 14-year career and doesn’t mind playing the role of villain in playoff road games, relays A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. “I don’t want the opposing fans to like me,” he said. “That’s not why I’m here. They can chant and scream all they want.”
- LeBron James and coach Tyronn Lue both wanted to trade for Clippers center DeAndre Jordan at the deadline, according to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. Lue felt the team needed a rim protector to anchor the defense.
- The trades the Cavaliers made instead in February are letting them down in the conference finals, notes Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. George Hill managed just three points in 33 minutes of Game 2 and couldn’t contain Celtics guard Terry Rozier. Rodney Hood didn’t take a shot from the field in 11 minutes, while Larry Nance Jr. was scoreless and Jordan Clarkson didn’t play.
- The Nets’ first-rounder the Cavaliers acquired in the Kyrie Irving trade will strengthen their position whether LeBron James stays or not, contends Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The Cavs will have 14 of their 17 players under contract for next season if James returns, but they have minimal guarantees beyond that, which will make rebuilding easier if it becomes necessary. Vardon suggests the team might try to trade Kevin Love again this summer and speculates that the Hornets could be interested in the No. 8 pick as a way to part with Kemba Walker‘s contract.
- A podcast on Cleveland.com examines whether James’ future with the organization is tied to how the team performs in the conference finals.
It doesn’t matter who the Cavs acquire Lebron needs to give up the ball and let the team run an offense. But I just can’t see him giving up ball handling duties, this is ultimately why Harden,Westbrook, and Lebron pile up insane numbers. Because they hold the ball for so long and other players can’t get a rhythm.
You know I wonder if I’m game 3 they start Calderon. Calderon might make for a better matchup and may free up LBJ to play off ball. If Hill/Smith isn’t producing, that may not be outlandish.
Hill and Smith aren’t producing because they can’t get in a rhythm. Lebron holds the ball for too long, and I’m a Lebron fan saying this. He’s a basketball savant but he needs to adjust his style of play.
Very true that’s why it’s hard for eney star to play with him
Jr Smith Is not suspended because the league is trying to do anything they can for that glimmer of hope that LeBron makes it to another championship
If Lebron were to let the team run an offense he’d win the Finals but the Cavs don’t pass enough. Watching the Warriors and man there is no way Golden State would be as good if you swap Durant with Lebron. Lebron would just pass to Curry and Thompson all game and it’s game over if those two are off. The man just doesn’t want to play off the ball.
As if Ty Lie could come up with an offense.
Im sure Lue has an offense it’s just Lebron will choose to do what he wants to do to get his points and assists. The man got 12 assists and no one got over 5 assists on the team, it’s common sense he’s doing himself harm because as great as he is he gives Boston the time to get ready for dribble drive offense and they are ready to pick away any pass he makes.
You can repeat yourself all you want Dionis, but the nonBron players are not very good. They were not so good on the teams they were on before the Cavs got them, and theyre still not that great. Love is pretty good sometimes.
The best play is James holding the ball. Other plays are degrees of less effective.
They have had some success with guys running to the corner; if two guys do it one rimruns along the baseline. There has also been good things happening with Hill working with a jam-up at the elbow. But Boston has been defending these things.
The firsthalf lead was from James gunning. This is the most reliable offense.
So quit complaining.
The presence of JRSmith is not crucial. The refs did the Cavs no great favors by not tossing him. I would rather have Osman in the game instead anyway.
Now that football play by Tatum on James, that was meaningful. Celts took over after that because James could not run the James offense as well. Much as Dionis hates that offense, it is pretty reliable, at least until the endgame.
Lol, the Hornets are looking to get rid of William’s, MKG, Batum. Walker is just the only player of any value real and used to dump salary. They are trying to get below the luxury tax this coming season. Cavs cant take on a salary, they have to match, not an ideal trade partner but there are trades that would clear future allocations that they may be interested in. Or a 3rd team like the Bulls or Kings need to be involved.
Why? LeBrons leaving (again).
They can make any move they want to try and keep him on draft night, basically some wink wink action, if you get player X i’ll stay.
JR Smith is a punk.
Getting Walker would be encouraging to James. Walker, Williams and Zeller at $37.8mil trade exchange, ~$85mil salary due, with a big contract for Kemba to come– let’s work with that, assuming the Cavs #8 pick to Hornets.
Clarkson, Thompson and a Cavs trade exemption would be $30 exchange and $64mil due, savings to Char of $21mil. However I cannot get trade exemptions going in the espn trade machine so IDK if that’s feasible.
HOOPSRUMORS- Can the Cavs make this with a 2.5 or 5.8 trade exemption?
George Hill and Thompson does work online but is less likely.
A trade exception can’t just be added to the outgoing salary count. It has to specifically absorb a player’s salary. Since Walker, Williams, and Zeller all make well over $5.8MM, a trade exception wouldn’t help much in that scenario.