J.R. Smith Doesn’t Want To Get Into A Pipe ‘Measuring Contest’ With Dwyane Wade Over Starting

The Cleveland Cavaliers, champions of the Eastern Conference the last three seasons, will be an interesting project this season. The team had a dramatic departure in Kyrie Irving’s trade to Boston, and the few new pieces to account for in the rotation.

One of those pieces is Dwyane Wade, a late addition to the squad after he was bought out by the Chicago Bulls earlier this week. Wade’s signing has certainly made LeBron James happy, but what will his role on the team look like with the likes of JR Smith, Derrick Rose, and (eventually) Isaiah Thomas in the mix?

Well, if you ask Smith, he’s not going to give you anything controversial as a quote. In fact, he basically deferred to coaching and Wade’s reputation as a shooter when asked what his role will look like on the team.

https://twitter.com/BenAxelrod/status/913446635648274432

“I’m not going to get into a blank measuring contest with Dwyane Wade,’ Smith told reporters, getting so close to saying “pipe” (or something similar) instead of “blank” that I actually feel cheated by this whole thing. “I’m not gonna win that.”

Smith seemed unimpressed by the line of questioning in general, but he does stick to the script and not cause any trouble here.

“That’s a coaching decision, however it works out. If anything, it makes us stronger. Whether I come off the bench or he comes off the bench, however it works. I don’t really focus on it, honestly. This is my 14th year coming up, and I’ve had a lot of BS in my past but I don’t plan on bringing that to the Cavs.”

It will be a coaching decision, of course, but honestly having all the players defer to the coaches and not make statements in the media seems like what’s best here. The roles of everyone in the rotation could be different by the postseason, and there are a lot of variables at play here. The media has to ask these questions, but that doesn’t mean anyone is expected to have an answer just yet.