Tyronn Lue is being a real stickler for detail this postseason.
According to Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon, the Cleveland Cavaliers head coach fined guard J.R. Smith $100 for jumping on a DeMar DeRozan pump fake in Game 4 on Sunday. Lue collected the fine from Smith in the locker room after the Cavs beat DeRozan’s Raptors 109-102 to sweep their second-round series.
$100 is pretty much the chumpiest of chump change for Smith, who made $12.8 million this season and blew roughly 230 times that fine when the Cavs won the title last June. But he’s only averaging 6.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game these playoffs, making his performance on defense that much more important. Perhaps this is part of the surprise defensive gameplan that Lue was referencing towards the end of the regular season.
