J.R. Smith is back in the NBA and it happens to be on one of the three big favorites, alongside the same star player with which he was a member of the 2016 NBA Champions. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday morning that the Los Angeles Lakers are finalizing the details of a deal to sign Smith for the remainder of the season, taking the place of guard Avery Bradley, who elected to opt-out of the NBA’s restart due to family reasons.
During Smith’s last full season back in 2017-18 with Cleveland, he shot 37.5% from the 3-point line. Smith is a career 37% 3-point shooter in the postseason and he is one of the most prolific shooters in NBA Finals history, as well.
Although Smith’s gaffe in Game 1 of the 2018 Finals is one people continue to point out, as it’s one of the last big moments he’s been a part of, Smith now gets another chance to be remembered as the hooper he is. And if it wasn’t clear before, the decision to bring him in is a sign that LeBron’s trust in Smith, despite the memes, has not wavered.
