J.R Smith fractured thumb, will undergo surgery
NBA Update – The Cavs are working through hand specialists to determine which doctor will surgically repair starting shooting guard J.R. Smith’s fractured right thumb, suffered Tuesday night in Milwaukee.
A source said Smith might not have surgery before Christmas, and the team said a timetable won’t be set for his eventual return until after the operation.
All of this goes to show that Cleveland could be without Smith for a while, and yet there isn’t a (noticeable) sense of urgency to make a move to replace him.
“I told Griff to take his time,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said before Wednesday’s game against the Bucks, discussing the brief conversation he had with general manager David Griffin. “We are 20-6 and we’re playing good. We’re a good team. And we don’t want to settle for just any point guard, we want to make sure that we have the right piece that we bring in here that could help us win a championship. That’s our goal.
“I mean, with Griff at the helm I know he’ll get something done. He always pulls out something magical, so let him to his thing and I just gotta to continue to coach the team with what I’ve got.”
Smith was hurt late in the first half against the Bucks. Initial images were “inconclusive” Tuesday, but fears were confirmed Wednesday morning when the fracture was diagnosed.
Based on Lue’s words, and team sources have backed this up to cleveland.com, the top priority when comes to finding outside help remains a backup point guard.
There’s a void behind Kyrie Irving because Mo Williams chose at the outset of training camp to retire, and then, rather than file his retirement papers opted for knee surgery — which cements him on the roster with a $2.1 million salary. Cleveland can’t cut him without not only paying him, but his tax liability as well because the team is so far over the salary cap.
On Friday, the Cavs lost their No. 4 big man when Chris “Bird Man” Andersen tore his right ACL. His $1.6 million salary is also guaranteed. So that’s two dead roster spots that Griffin needs to clear in trades if he wants to bring in new players.
Smith, in the first season of a four-year, $57 million deal, is struggling offensively — averaging 8.6 points and shooting 33.7 percent from the field. But Smith is the team’s best on-ball defender, according to Lue. That may come to light when the Cavs host the Golden State Warriors on Christmas and Smith isn’t out there to guard Klay Thompson.
The Cavs’ plan to improve their roster didn’t change with Smith’s injury, team sources said, but if Cleveland obviously suffers without him it could add some urgency into the equation.
The other issue is the playing time and workload of LeBron James and Irving. Entering Wednesday’s game against the Bucks, James was averaging 37.3 minutes per game and Irving 34.7.
Beginning next month, Cleveland had planned to taper that down, especially with James. With Smith out, the Cavs would need another rotation player — either currently on the team or not — they can trust so James and Irving can play fewer minutes.
DeAndre Liggins starts for Smith Wednesday. The Cavs will also need more from Mike Dunleavy (4.3 ppg, 35.6 percent shooting) and maybe Jordan McCrae.
“We’re going to miss J.R., his defense, his effort on defense, his tough shot making,” Lue said. “But that’s no excuse for us. Next man up, we’ve got to be ready to play and we’ve got to be ready to help J.R. out until he gets back and gets healthy.”
Category: Basketball
