Where the Browns stand: Tight Ends & Fullbacks
February 5, 2016Cavs active in NBA trade market, covet Jared Dudley
February 5, 2016Though he seemed to have been at peace with the NBA never asking him to be a part of the All-Star Weekend’s three-point contest earlier this season, Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith voiced his displeasure on Friday morning in the wake of the announced field of participants—one that did not include his name.
“Other than stats and analytics and everything they use on everything else, I hope they just use better judgment.
“I feel as though I’m one of the best 3-point shooters to play, regardless if it’s this year, last year or when I was 4-years old. .. I try to not let that bother me. We’re in first place in our division, so at the end of the day, this is about wins and losses for us, not about who is going to All-Star Weekend.”
Smith’s quip about judgment is not without merit. The Cavs swingman ranks 18th all-time in 3-pointers made with 1,584 and is ninth among active NBA players. Invited players include Golden State’s Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, Los Angeles’ J.J. Redick, Houston’s James Harden, Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton, Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, Miami’s Chris Bosh and Phoenix’s Devin Booker—the last of which is a rookie who just earned playing time following injuries to several Suns backcourt players. Smith has made more threes this season than Middleton, Bosh (despite playing fewer minutes per game) and Booker. Converting on 39.6 percent of his three-point attempts, Smith also has a better rate this season than both Bosh and Harden.
With 240 three-pointers made as a member of the Cavaliers, Smith is currently 14th all-time for the Cleveland franchise, four away from passing Anthony Parker, and quickly closing on teammate Kevin Love (both with 244). Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers will have just one player representing them through the entire weekend of festivities in forward LeBron James.