Lakers News: CBS Analyst Shares Why JR Smith Will Shock Many in NBA Playoffs

lebron james jr smith

Getty LeBron James with J.R. Smith.

JR Smith is a key addition to the Los Angeles Lakers just asked 14-year retired NBA vet, Brendan Haywood.

“I think the best free agent that we’ve seen thus far for me is JR Smith,” Haywood told his CBS Sports Network co-host Ryan Hollins earlier today on The Opinionated 7-Footers podcast.

The coronavirus pandemic halted NBA basketball play on March 11.The NBA will resume play on July 30 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The Lakers are one of 22 NBA Teams who will compete to fill the league’s 16-NBA Playoff spots in both the NBA’s Eastern and Western Conferences with the NBA Finals expected to finish no later than October 13.

Smith recently signed with the Lakers after Avery Bradey opted to not participate in the NBA’s reboot in Florida.

Smith and the purple and gold have been tied to one another since January 25 when it was made public that he would be granted a workout with the Lakers.

“I know a lot of people have a lot of negative connotations with his name because of what happened in the NBA Finals a few years ago,” said Haywood.

“But he does have playoff experience.”

A member of the Cavaliers’ 2016 NBA Championship team alongside LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, Smith only played 11 games during the 2018-19 NBA season.

The 18th pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Hornets by way of St. Benedict’s Preparatory High School in Newark, New Jersey, Smith last played NBA basketball on November 19, 2018 as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers in a game against the Detroit Pistons.

At that point, the Cavs were 2-13 and Smith logged just six minutes of play.The Cavs granted Smith a leave of absence after voicing concerns about the direction of that team. Cleveland searched far and wide for a trade partner during Smith’s leave of absence.

No suitors were seemingly interested.

Pity too.

Smith, a Lakewood, New Jersey native, is a career 37.3% 3-point shooter with a career average of 12.5 points per game.

He joins a Lakers team that currently sits in first place in the NBA’s Western Conference standings with a 49-14 record.

Brendan Haywood think’s Jr Smith will hit a sweet spot playing for the Lakers. “He’s hit big shots before,” he said.

“The Lakers will not need JR Smith every night, but a couple of nights when the timing is right, they might need him to go off for three or four 3’s in a quarter, he’d definitely capable of that.”