Cleveland Cavaliers Injury Update: J.R. Smith Out for the Season After Injuring Knee?

By Carlo Monzon
J.R. Smith
Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the third quarter in game five of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena.  Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

On Monday, Cleveland Cavaliers fans saw how J.R. Smith rolled on the floor in pain after injury his knee during the first quarter of the game against the Toronto Raptors. Since Smith was not able to return after hurting his knee, talks about him missing the entire season started to emerge.

The incident happened shortly after Smith successfully made a tear-drop shot against the Raptors during the 12-minute mark of the first quarter. Smith landed awkwardly, pegging his left leg in front of him. He then tried to walk it off but immediately fell to the floor in pain, Fear the Sword reported.

Smith was then taken out of the game and didn't return. But, despite his absence, the Cavaliers were still able to win the match with a final score of 116 to 112.
Fans immediately thought that Smith's injury was serious, which could lead to him missing a couple of weeks or even the entire season.

Fortunately for Cleveland, X-rays revealed that Smith did not suffer structural damage to his knee. However, he is expected to be listed as day-to-day. This means that the team will still closely monitor his condition and recovery. He is also expected to miss the upcoming game on Wednesday.

Although Smith did not suffer a major injury, it would be wise for the Cavaliers not to play him yet for the next couple of games to avoid aggravating his condition. As noted by CBS Sports, Smith's knee has been bothering him for some time now, and could even be the reason behind some of his poor plays.

In fact, this is probably Smith's worst season in his entire career. Right now, he is only averaging 8.1 points per game and his shooting percentage has dropped to 30. Giving him proper time to rest and recover will ultimately be good for the team.

If the Cavaliers decide to sideline Smith for a couple of games, then the team will most likely turn to his backups Imam Shumpert and DeAndre Liggins to pick up the slack. The Cleveland franchise will probably rotate between these two, instead of favoring one to play for longer minutes.

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