We're well past 'Plan B' for Danny Ferry and the Cleveland Cavaliers' attempts at giving LeBron James some scoring help. We've now moved on to 'Plan Z7652Y, Codename: J.R. Smith.' The Cleveland Plain-Dealer's Terry Pluto is reporting that the Cavs have decided to pursue Denver's feisty combo guard, since their attempts at Michael Redd and every other valued scorer available on the market have failed.
Smith's a bit of a gamble, with excellent scoring instincts as well as transition skills. The drawback, of course, is a shaky history both with vehicle accidents and coaching disputes. He's a fiery personality, but a huge talent. Your typical NBA conundrum.
The Cavs have been desperate to find a suitable upgrade in the scoring department since last season's mediocre/borderline miserable offensive performance, but have been either unable or unwilling to pull the trigger on anything meaningful. Meanwhile, with the Delonte West saga dragging on, the Cavs' pursuit of Smith has to be seen as at least an indication that the Cavs don't feel particularly hamstrung by West's demands.
I spoke with Smith at Summer League while he was there hanging out with teammates, and while he did say he was focused on returning to Denver this year, he also didn't seem too enthused about the Marcus Camby trade, saying only "That's how things go in this business."
