J.R. Smith doesn't get much playing time in his reserve role with the Los Angeles Lakers, but that doesn't seem to bother the streaky shooter one bit — especially if it means winning another championship ring.
On Tuesday, an Instagram user came at Smith in the wrong way, pointing out the fact that he “doesn't even play.” Surprisingly, Smith actually saw this message and decided to offer a cheeky rebuttal:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFugyUghjtS/?igshid=sbb7eql61g2u
The Lakers signed Swisherhouse as a substitute player for the restart of the 2019-20 season. Prior to this signing, the 35-year-old shooting guard was in search of a team to play for. He was waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers on July 15, 2019.
Swish is no stranger to the postseason, and that's exactly where he finds himself with the Lakers. For the first time in 10 years, Los Angeles has advanced to the NBA Finals.
The New Jersey native has appeared in 130 career NBA Playoff games (64 starts) for the Nuggets, Knicks and Cavaliers, totaling 11.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steal in 29.5 minutes per game. Notably, Smith ranks ninth all-time in postseason three-pointers made and fourth all-time in three-pointers made in the NBA Finals.
And let's not forget that Smith played alongside LeBron James for a Cavaliers team that pulled off the greatest comeback in playoff history (down 3-1 to the Golden State Warriors). He was the third-leading scorer for Cleveland during the Finals, behind only James and Kyrie Irving. And were it not for his efforts in the third quarter of Game 7, the Larry O'Brien trophy may have went to Golden State instead.
When the Cavs needed a spark, Smith delivered:
https://twitter.com/Pchopz_/status/1064944078247391234?s=20
It may be true that Smith doesn't get much playing time these days, but it hasn't affected his psyche. In fact, he seems to be happy in his new digs with the Lakers. And why shouldn't he be? After all, he's back in the Finals with a real shot at winning again.
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