CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 1: JR Smith #5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers warms put prior to the start of Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals against the Toronto Raptors at Quicken Loans Arena on May 1, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
J.R. Smith has made it quite clear during his 13-year NBA career that hes not afraidto let it fly and has admitted that he finds takingopen shots kind of boring."
Itwas somewhat surprising, then, to see Smith attempt just four shots despite playing 28 minutes in the Cavs Game 1 loss.
So head coach Tyronn Lue took it upon himself to remind Smith what the Cavs need from him heading into Sundays Game 2.
"He's an assassin," Lue told ESPN on Saturday. "We're reminding him of that. Go out there and shoot. We need him to."
The Cavs havent needed Smith to be all that aggressive during this years playoff run. Cleveland went 12-1 on its way to its third consecutive trip to the Finals, and Smith didnt have double-digit attempts in any of the games.
The Cavs have heavily relied on their Big 3 to carry them to the Finals but facing a Warriors team that features four All-Stars, they will need more from their sharpshooter.
gallery:The best NBA teams of all time that didn't make the Finals, ranked
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.