David Blatt Needs to Counter Small-Ball by Starting JR Smith

JR Smith is having a brutal NBA Finals, shooting just 29.8% from the field through four games, and averaging a paltry 9 points per game. He’s been a total non-factor on 3-pointers, making just 25% of them after torching the Hawks on 47% from deep in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Smith made more 3-pointers in Game 1 against the Hawks (8), than he’s made in the series against the Warriors (7).

Naturally, I think this is the perfect time for the Cavs to insert Smith into the starting lineup, and put Matthew Dellavedova on the bench – where he can be rested for defensive purposes until the 4th quarter, when Cleveland has been crushed in the last two games.

The reasons to start Smith: The Warriors showed in Game 4 they will send double-teams at LeBron more often, but the problem is that when he passes, Dellavedova and Iman Shumpert look extremely reluctant to take their open looks. And they’re not making them, either.

Delly did score 20 points in the Game 3 win, but for the series, he’s just 5-of-21 on three-pointers (23 percent). He’s getting clean looks, but he’s just not a reliable shooter (though he did make 42 percent of 3-pointers against the Bulls on 9-of-21 shooting).

Shumpert is 5-of-16 (31 percent) on three-pointers for the series, which is slightly down from his regular season numbers in Cleveland (33%). But that was playing with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, when his jumper wasn’t crucial, because they had plenty of talent around him.

Lastly, Smith coming off the bench usually coincides with either Mozgov or Thompson going to the bench. Even if Smith’s off from deep, those two on the court at the same time will wipe the glass clean against the Warriors small-ball attack.

In addition to starting Smith, David Blatt is going to have to consider stealing minutes for LeBron either with Shawn Marion and Mike Miller, or – gasp! – both at the same time. Depth and fresh legs is the only way the Cavs can reverse this ugly 4th quarter trend (outscored 63-36 in the last two games).

I’m not sure how much it has been discussed, but these Warriors deserve a lot of credit, not just for the 67 regular season wins and the lofty stats, but for this: Twice in the playoffs they trailed 2-1, and were on the road in a must-win Game 4. Both times the resilient Warriors were backed into a corner, they came out swinging: Golden State pummeled Memphis by 17 and Cleveland by 21. Steve Kerr made great adjustments in both Game 4s, first shifting Andrew Bogut to Tony Allen and daring him to shoot (he couldn’t) and then going small with Andre Iguodala for Bogut.

Sure earned that Coach of the Year award, huh?