Cavs guard J.R. Smith hasn’t always come across as the most coachable player in the National Basketball Association. Smith was openly detested by former coach George Karl in Denver (one of many players to clash with the now-Kings head coach), failed to buy into the triangle offense last season in New York, and spent years treating Mike Woodson like he was invisible (though in Smith’s defense, it’s because often times Woodson was). But Smith’s relationship with Cleveland head coach David Blatt is as healthy as can be according to some comments the former made on Thursday.
“First things first, before we get into basketball, Coach really cares about me as a person,” Smith said via Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. “That’s one of the first coaches I’ve had that actually cared about me off the court more than on the court, so it was that much easier for me to play for him and give my all because I know he cares about me as a person. When you have someone like that behind you it’s so much easier just to play. I’d run through a brick wall for Coach.”
Smith, who re-upped with the Cavs this offseason on a two-year, $10.3 million deal, hasn’t always shown Blatt the most courtesy in the past. But it looks as though the pair has cultivated a sense of mutual trust and respect behind the scenes. We will see if Smith can justify that trust with the big role he will be thrust into early next season after the injury to Iman Shumpert.
All in all, it definitely seems like Cleveland is the perfect situation for ol’ Earl Joseph Smith III in more ways than one. But I can’t help wondering that maybe Smith was misquoted and was really trying to say that he would build a wall of bricks for Blatt instead.
H/T theScore
