Does LeBron get credit for changing J.R. Smith? Like MJ did to Pippen?

[Solefade]

Obviously Carmelo couldn't do it, so lets hear what the naysayers say

[Straight_Ballin]

Obviously Carmelo couldn't do it, so lets hear what the naysayers say

lmk when he can change him good enough to earn 6 finals rings.

[Fudge]

What do you mean "change him"?

Melo turned him into a 6MOY. :hammerhead:

[Derka]

I am flummoxed as to how the two situations are even remotely comparable.

[asd]

a lack of nyc's vibrant nightlife is responsible for changing JR

[Real Men Wear Green]

Is JR Smith actually being compared to Scottie Pippen? For any reason?

[ArbitraryWater]

Is JR Smith actually being compared to Scottie Pippen? For any reason?

Um, not really?!

[Beastmode88]

jr smith got 6th man of the year with the knicks and melo... what has lebron change him to?

[Solefade]

What do you mean "change him"?

Melo turned him into a 6MOY. :hammerhead:


melo didn't do anything, lets not take credit away from JR

[Solefade]

I am flummoxed as to how the two situations are even remotely comparable.


changing someone that wasn't that good into someone that's pretty good?

JR smith was a hopeless cause i thought :hammerhead:

[ArbitraryWater]

melo didn't do anything, lets not take credit away from JR

cmon bro.. you just said LeBron changed Jr. Smith, you took credit away from Jr by doing so... well, Jr was a 6MOY while he was with Melo.

[Solefade]

cmon bro.. you just said LeBron changed Jr. Smith, you took credit away from Jr by doing so... well, Jr was a 6MOY while he was with Melo.

he became a hopeless cause thus he got traded as a kicker in the iman shumpert trade, lebron brought him back

[Fudge]

melo didn't do anything, lets not take credit away from JR
Stop contradicting yourself. :hammerhead:

[chazzy]

Melo led the Knicks to the 3rd best offense with JR as his 2nd option :lol

[Solefade]

so cleveland and LeBron aren't responsible for the rebirth of JR Smith? even though he was traded as a kicker in the iman shumpert trade? lol

[Derka]

changing someone that wasn't that good into someone that's pretty good?

JR smith was a hopeless cause i thought :hammerhead:

JR Smith is, always has been and always will be a borderline-retarded, middling role player.

[ArbitraryWater]

he became a hopeless cause thus he got traded as a kicker in the iman shumpert trade, lebron brought him back

Okay.. thats pretty true.

imdaman himself said Ray Allen was better than Jr :roll: :roll:

He looks like 6 MOY again.

[J Shuttlesworth]

Okay.. thats pretty true.

imdaman himself said Ray Allen was better than Jr :roll: :roll:

He looks like 6 MOY again.
He's not even a 6th man on Cleveland

[Real Men Wear Green]

melo didn't do anything, lets not take credit away from JR
If you're going to credit James for Smith's better play then why not credit Melo? They both deserve the same amount of it. As in none. Smith is what he's always been, talented and not that smart. He openly stated he doesn't get the triangle, so now that he's in an offense where he can just shoot and isn't required to think he's alright. Just because a guy is a team's best player doesn't mean everyone else's play is all about him.

[Solefade]

If you're going to credit James for Smith's better play then why not credit Melo? They both deserve the same amount of it. As in none. Smith is what he's always been, talented and not that smart. He openly stated he doesn't get the triangle, so now that he's in an offense where he can just shoot and isn't required to think he's alright. Just because a guy is a team's best player doesn't mean everyone else's play is all about him.


i don't know because he was just really good and efficient at scoring when he was in NY while still playing pretty self fish basketball...also melo wasn't able to keep him at that level?

he looks a lot more unselfish in cleveland, has really bought into the team

[sportjames23]

lmk when he can change him good enough to earn 6 finals rings.


Damn. :cheers:

[scm5]

i don't know because he was just really good and efficient at scoring when he was in NY while still playing pretty self fish basketball...also melo wasn't able to keep him at that level?

he looks a lot more unselfish in cleveland, has really bought into the team

instead of just Melo and JR, they've got Kyrie, Lebron, Love.....

He's #4 in the pecking order and still taking up nearly as many shots as in NY

[G0ATbe]

He was way better with Melo:facepalm . He's just on a super stacked team now so he's not under a microscope.

[imdaman99]

Okay.. thats pretty true.

imdaman himself said Ray Allen was better than Jr :roll: :roll:

He looks like 6 MOY again.
I just wanted JR off this damn team, tank or no tank. Is he better than Ray Allen's corpse? Maybe, maybe not, we will see if JR can save a legacy like Rayray did. All I know is that JR is a ridiculously horrible playoff player, but then again having him as the 2nd option is setting yourself up for disaster. Lucky for Cavs fans/Lebron stans is that he is the 9th option so him imploding does nothing but perhaps keep an eastern conference playoff game from being a blowout.

This thread is classic example of Lebron stans wanting Lebron to get all of the credit and none of the blame. How sad are these guys :oldlol:

[Real Men Wear Green]

i don't know because he was just really good and efficient at scoring when he was in NY while still playing pretty self fish basketball...also melo wasn't able to keep him at that level?

he looks a lot more unselfish in cleveland, has really bought into the team
JR Smith is an adult. He doesn't think the game particularly well but he is a grown man and as such responsible for his life, career, and specific to this topic his play on the court. Selfish play? He's a shooting guard whose primary talent is scoring. The ability to score is why he's in the NBA. Scoring is how he helps his team, it's his primary contribution. If he's not shooting he's probably not contributing.

But for what it's worth he's actually averaging nearly an assist per game less this season as a Cav than he did this season as a Knick. I would guess that's mainly due to his role (I imagine he handles the ball much less in Cleveland with James and Irving). Because he really is the same player. Put him on Philly and he probably looks the same he did as a Knick. James is not making him a better player. At most James is helping him by finding him for open jumpers. But Smith himself is the same guy. Just now he's on a winning team so he's getting more respect.

Winning is the ultimate perfume for every player.

[Solefade]

JR Smith is an adult. He doesn't think the game particularly well but he is a grown man and as such responsible for his life, career, and specific to this topic his play on the court. Selfish play? He's a shooting guard whose primary talent is scoring. The ability to score is why he's in the NBA. Scoring is how he helps his team, it's his primary contribution. If he's not shooting he's probably not contributing.

But for what it's worth he's actually averaging nearly an assist per game less this season as a Cav than he did this season as a Knick. I would guess that's mainly due to his role (I imagine he handles the ball much less in Cleveland with James and Irving). Because he really is the same player. Put him on Philly and he probably looks the same he did as a Knick. James is not making him a better player. At most James is helping him by finding him for open jumpers. But Smith himself is the same guy. Just now he's on a winning team so he's getting more respect.

Winning is the ultimate perfume for every player.

you can give me numbers and all of that, but if you actually watch the cavs play he's doing things he never did before on the Knicks, like making the hockey assist and not blowing up plays out of time outs, shot selection is much better. he deserves a lot of credit for the rebirth of his career but obviously the change in culture from team to team is dramatically different and that ultimately starts with LeBron--because lets be honest, Kyrie Irving isn't responsible for it, and nor is Kevin Love lol

[Solefade]

This thread is classic example of Lebron stans wanting Lebron to get all of the credit and none of the blame. How sad are these guys :oldlol:

and all the haters want to discredit lebron for the credit he deserves :confusedshrug:

[John Tesh]

Obviously Carmelo couldn't do it, so lets hear what the naysayers say

I think this says more about Melo than it does LeBron.

[SexSymbol]

He's the same player he was in Denver and the good days of Melo NY stint, minus the nightlife that is nonexistant in cleveland

[MellowYellow]

and all the haters want to discredit lebron for the credit he deserves :confusedshrug:

I just don't understand why u want to give Lebron the credit when he is the least what has made JR better recently.

1. Being Healthy
2. Better overall team, being 4th option instead of 2nd
3. Lack of nightlife in Cleveland/ less distractions.
4. Less pressure to perform since there are plenty of players on the cavs that can bring it.

[Solefade]

He's the same player he was in Denver and the good days of Melo NY stint, minus the nightlife that is nonexistant in cleveland


such a shitty excuse, we all give credit for kobe making his teammates tougher right? why isn't the nightlife in LA a problem then?

[Real Men Wear Green]

you can give me numbers and all of that, but if you actually watch the cavs play he's doing things he never did before on the Knicks, like making the hockey assist and not blowing up plays out of time outs, shot selection is much better. he deserves a lot of credit for the rebirth of his career but obviously the change in culture from team to team is dramatically different and that ultimately starts with LeBron--because lets be honest, Kyrie Irving isn't responsible for it, and nor is Kevin Love lol
"Hockey assist?" So you're saying that when he was a Knick he didn't ever pass to a guy that got an assist? That's just flat-out wrong. Not to mention he now has 2 teammates averaging over 5 assists whereas in NY there were none (Calderon was close but not quite there) so whatever change there is in this nonexistent statistic that no one is tracking would probably be chalked up to that.

Here's what James is responsible for: Winning. The Cavs used to suck and now they're good. That's largely about LBJ. But he does not walk on water and he has not made Smith a different person. Put Smith in Orlando and he looks the same as he did in NY.

[SexSymbol]

such a shitty excuse, we all give credit for kobe making his teammates tougher right? why isn't the nightlife in LA a problem then?
well exactly, because Kobe is tough cookie, he makes his teammates tough cookies.
You ain't nightclubbing on Kobe's watch.
BTW, JR is now advanced in years, he realizes it's his last chance to show something or he's out of the league for good.

[asd]

such a shitty excuse, we all give credit for kobe making his teammates tougher right? why isn't the nightlife in LA a problem then?

1) kobe's married with kids
2) nyc nightlife >>> la nightlife

[Sarcastic]

Cleveland is so stacked, that it's unreal.

Melo's 2nd best player is 4th or 5th best player for Lebron. So stacked.

[TemporaMutantur]

He's just coming from an abysmal Knicks team that I'm sure would suck the motivation out of any half decent player.

Now that his play could actually mean something, it's no wonder that he's motivated and as a result playing better.

[Crimsonrain777]

who else on that Knicks team was an offensive threat and someone that defenses had to pay attention to?

There was Carmelo Anthony, then J.R Smith, then...

whereas an Cleveland he now plays next to Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. Three players that will always be seeing double-teams; the first two especially. Which ends up taking tremendous pressure off of J.R and leaving him in position to get very good shots off most of the time

Is it really that hard for some people to understand?:facepalm

[Hey Yo]

If you're going to credit James for Smith's better play then why not credit Melo? They both deserve the same amount of it. As in none. Smith is what he's always been, talented and not that smart. He openly stated he doesn't get the triangle, so now that he's in an offense where he can just shoot and isn't required to think he's alright. Just because a guy is a team's best player doesn't mean everyone else's play is all about him.
I would argue he has to think more now due to the spotlight being much bigger right now than it was this season in NY.

I've seen him pass up a lot of open looks this year just for the sake of ball movement and the possibility of someone getting a better look than he had.

More pressure now not to screw up, make the right decision and not play "chuck ball" compared to if he screwed up in NY this season then nobody gives a fat rats ass, it's just laughed off by media due to the tank.

All I know is that when it was announced that J.R was coming to Cleveland, people on here were laughing at the decision and called him a major cancer who would provide nothing.

[coin24]

Jr has been beasting..
It's good to see, even he has said himself there is nothing to do in Cleveland so he can work on his game.
Sorry di.ck riders I don't think it has anything to do with bran. And how anyone can compare him to pippen is beyond me:facepalm

[gilalizard]

I am flummoxed as to how the two situations are even remotely comparable.

The fevered desperation LeBron stans feel that no one but them will ever consider LeBron the GOAT.

[Lebron23]

Lebron's always been a good teammate. He make his teammates better.

[Real Men Wear Green]

I would argue he has to think more now due to the spotlight being much bigger right now than it was this season in NY.That doesn't even matter. He's out there trying to score, hopefully trying to help his team win. He is a paid professional regardless of whether his team is headed for the Finals or the lottery. It's a job. So he should be trying to do what he is told to do. And he has publicly stated: (http://nypost.com/2015/02/21/j-r-smith-sounds-off-with-a-warning-about-knicks-triangle/)[QUOTE=JR Smith]

[warriorfan]

worst post ever OP

[Solefade]

who else on that Knicks team was an offensive threat and someone that defenses had to pay attention to?

There was Carmelo Anthony, then J.R Smith, then...

whereas an Cleveland he now plays next to Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. Three players that will always be seeing double-teams; the first two especially. Which ends up taking tremendous pressure off of J.R and leaving him in position to get very good shots off most of the time

Is it really that hard for some people to understand?:facepalm


all this tells me is that you're commenting on something that you know nothing about besides the obvious

[Solefade]

"Hockey assist?" So you're saying that when he was a Knick he didn't ever pass to a guy that got an assist? That's just flat-out wrong. Not to mention he now has 2 teammates averaging over 5 assists whereas in NY there were none (Calderon was close but not quite there) so whatever change there is in this nonexistent statistic that no one is tracking would probably be chalked up to that.

Here's what James is responsible for: Winning. The Cavs used to suck and now they're good. That's largely about LBJ. But he does not walk on water and he has not made Smith a different person. Put Smith in Orlando and he looks the same as he did in NY.

you use his stats from NY and Cleveland to measure that he was more of a willing passer on the Cavs which is absolutely false. He's definitely taken a way less selfish approach on here and you can tell if you watch the games.

i don't really agree with this but i get what you're saying

[Solefade]

and you dumbasses, when did i ever say JR smith = pippen? Pippen is one of the greatest players ever but how they had their potential maximized playing next to a superstar is similar

[Real Men Wear Green]

you use his stats from NY and Cleveland to measure that he was more of a willing passer on the Cavs which is absolutely false. He's definitely taken a way less selfish approach on here and you can tell if you watch the games.

i don't really agree with this but i get what you're saying
No, you didn't get what I was saying. I have maintained throughout that he's the same player in a different circumstance. Everyone watches the Cavs, ESPN shoves them down our throats so you can stop saying that non-point, by the way. If anything the team I didn't watch much was the Knicks.

What I have seen is plenty of JR Smith, and there's no revelation going on here. You act like the 13 points and 2.5 assists he's giving Cleveland is some kind of breakthrough. It isn't.

[Solefade]

No, you didn't get what I was saying. I have maintained throughout that he's the same player in a different circumstance. Everyone watches the Cavs, ESPN shoves them down our throats so you can stop saying that non-point, by the way. If anything the team I didn't watch much was the Knicks.

What I have seen is plenty of JR Smith, and there's no revelation going on here. You act like the 13 points and 2.5 assists he's giving Cleveland is some kind of breakthrough. It isn't.

he's definitely not the same player, he's matured a lot whether it was LeBron or not its debatable. He was known to be the same type of player as a nick young that comes off the bench to boost the scoring and THAT'S IT. He's a legit starter on this Cavs unit because he's been trying to fit in. You can't tell me he's been this type of player with the knicks and nuggets, that's just ridiculous. He's passing the ball for the sake of ball movement and playing good defense and really turning the ball over. he was never a player you would say that had "championship dna" but you're definitely seeing flashes of that since the trade.

his impact is WAY larger than his stats indicate my friend

[Crimsonrain777]

all this tells me is that you're commenting on something that you know nothing about besides the obvious

excellent rebuttal

but tell me, what is there besides the obvious to explain for Jr Smith's immediate contribution to this Cavs team. obviously, he always had the skill, it's just that now he's an a much better situation to make use of it.

J.r smith plays the "lesser of many evils" role because defenses will be so intent on containing the other two players that will always be capable of dishing out heavy damage on offense. Kevin Love as well. now he can play pressure free ball to his hearts content

of course it's obvious because the answer supposedly should be simple to see to anyone that attempts to think about the question.


and here you remain, a victim of irony:oldlol:

[Real Men Wear Green]

he's definitely not the same player, he's matured a lot whether it was LeBron or not its debatable.So, overnight, he just matured, boom. LeBron James is a radioactive spider.
He was known to be the same type of player as a nick young that comes off the bench to boost the scoring and THAT'S IT. He's a legit starter on this Cavs unit becauseThey want a shooting guard that can hit open jumpers and play some defense.
You can't tell me he's been this type of player with the knicks and nuggets, that's just ridiculous. He's passing the ball for the sake of ball movement and playing good defense and really turning the ball over. he was never a player you would say that had "championship dna" but you're definitely seeing flashes of that since the trade.Your DNA does not change...unless you get bitten by a radioactive spider.

[Fudge]

OP got his pants pulled down, bent over, and took one for the team. :oldlol:

[Smoke117]

J.R. Smith a consummate low BBIQ player and a clown in general...has matured in 2 months. What 10 years in the NBA couldn't do, Lebron magically did in 2 months. Okay.

[Solefade]

So, overnight, he just matured, boom. LeBron James is a radioactive spider. They want a shooting guard that can hit open jumpers and play some defense. Your DNA does not change...unless you get bitten by a radioactive spider.

look all i'm saying is NYK/DEN JR Smith (including 6MOY JR) isn't the same JR Smith as the current one on Cleveland, and for you to say he's always been the same is just crap to me cus this is the first time we've ever seen JR play that maturely, pretty sure when the trade happened most people including myself though he's not going to provide MUCH if anything at all. You're lying if you said you knew he would be this good and productive.

[Solefade]

J.R. Smith a consummate low BBIQ player and general clown in general...has matured in 2 months. What 10 years in the NBA couldn't do, Lebron magically did in 2 months. Okay.

you're exactly right :cheers:

if you're being sarcastic then why hasn't been able to show it ever before? even when he won 6MOY award its not like he was playing good team basketball, he was just really productive individually

[warriorfan]

J.R. Smith a consummate low BBIQ player and a clown in general...has matured in 2 months. What 10 years in the NBA couldn't do, Lebron magically did in 2 months. Okay.


Yeah, it's not like Smith is gonna turn 30 years old in a few months and this is his first winning team in about 3 years. It was all because of LeBron.



http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/bad/drunk-smiley-emoticon.gif

[chazzy]

op is trying soo hard but failing miserably

[Crimsonrain777]

you're exactly right :cheers:

if you're being sarcastic then why hasn't been able to show it ever before? even when he won 6MOY award its not like he was playing good team basketball, he was just really productive individually

Isn't it obvious?........

(answer in white text)







Lebron James is a radioactive spider

[Beastmode88]

Lebron's always been a good teammate. He make his teammates better.

Yet lebron ball is associated with turning people into spot up shooters. :rolleyes:

[Solefade]

op is trying soo hard but failing miserably


not trying that hard my dude, if you're not with me then you're just arguing against facts :confusedshrug:

[Lebron23]

J.R. Smith a consummate low BBIQ player and a clown in general...has matured in 2 months. What 10 years in the NBA couldn't do, Lebron magically did in 2 months. Okay.


http://imgick.cleveland.com/home/cleve-media/width620/img/cavs_impact/photo/screen-shot-2015-03-11-at-51112-pmpng-66cc568830121696.png


http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/229/files/2015/01/j.r.-smith-lebron-james-timofey-mozgov-nba-charlotte-hornets-cleveland-cavaliers-850x560.jpg

He also bonded very well with Timothy Mozgov, Iman Shumpert and the rest of the Cavaliers New Acquisition.