It had been a long and difficult 2018-19 season for J.R. Smith, but it appears that the mercurial shooting guard has become a better man as a result.
Recently, the Cleveland Cavaliers veteran posted an Instagram story about an airport incident which could have resulted in a disaster. Instead, according to Smith, he restrained himself and thought better of the other person.
The fact that Smith chose to refrain from responding negatively is a positive sign. For most of his career, restraint hasn’t been his strongest suit.
In fact, he only played in 11 games this past season after he criticized the Cavs for tanking the season in order to obtain a higher draft pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Rather than have an unhappy camper in the locker room, management decided to keep Smith on ice for the remainder of the season.
If the airport story is an indication of a better version of Smith, he may have a more positive effect on his teammates next season.
