The Los Angeles Lakers recently let go of Troy Daniels to open up a roster spot, which could potentially go to either JR Smith or Dion Waiters. Both players worked out with the club on Monday.
Smith, of course, already holds a great relationship with Lakers superstar LeBron James. They won a championship together with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
Their chemistry alone could be enough of a reason for the Lakers to snag him. However, signing a player like Smith also comes with several drawbacks for the championship-seeking franchise.
Here are three reasons why the Lakers should not sign JR Smith.
Smith is coming off a long layoff
As much as athletes love to disapprove of the theory of the so-called “ring rust,” being away from the sport for prolonged periods of time certainly has an effect on a player’s performance.
The same ideology applies to basketball. Smith last played in the NBA back in the 2018-19 NBA season. He was out of the rotation since November 2018 and was eventually waived by the Cavs in July 2019. Even the greatest of athletes will surely be quite rusty over a year of inactivity.
Sure, we’ve seen clips of him burning a hole through the net during workouts with other NBA stars in the offseason. Great shooters, after all, never lose the ability to knock down jumpers even as they get up there in age.
Smith is a career 37.4 percent shooter from distance. However, he only shot 30.8 percent in his last playing season, which could be a cause of great concern for the Lakers.
Questionable decision-making
To say that Swish is an enigma would simply be an understatement. Smith is one of those Jekyll and Hyde types of players, considering you never really know what you’re getting out of him on any given night.
When he’s hot, Smith is extremely good. He is arguably one of the streakiest shooters in recent memory and has drained numerous clutch 3-pointers that bailed out his team.
Then again, we’ve also seen him at his worst. And by worst, I mean iconically terrible on the biggest stage. That late-game blunder in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals has spawned memes left and right. That humiliating sequence will haunt Smith for the rest of his life.
Shooters have been told to move on from one shot to the next, regardless of the outcome. Smith, however, does not seem to possess any conscience at all, oftentimes continuing to fire away even when he is cold.
Smith wouldn't bring much to the table
Smith is a volume 3-point shooter who could give any NBA bench some much-needed firepower with his floor spacing. However, he wouldn't bring much else to the table.
Smith was a gifted athlete in his prime who developed into a respectable defender, but he has lost a step or two in recent years. He has limited playmaking ability and won't give much scoring juice off the dribble.
For sure, Smith can make baskets when the defense collapses on LeBron and AD. But when those shots are not falling, Smith does not have much he can offer Lakers coach Frank Vogel.
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