The Cleveland Cavs will shake things up moving forward: Dwyane Wade will come off the bench in favor of J.R. Smith, starting w/ tomorrow night's game v. Chicago.
In a move requested by D. Wade, the 15-year vet explained his decision-making:
"I just decided, earlier than later, just to get to the unit where I'd be more comfortable in and can probably better with this team in that lineup," Wade said. "Why wait? Three games in, why wait? Wanted to get in there with those guys." (via Joe Vardon, Cleveland.com)
It's hard to argue w/ Wade's rationale, as he's averaging just 5.7 points on 28% shooting. And even if you ignore the numbers aside, it's easy to see Wade never found his rhythm w/ the starters. As a reserve, he could have a more defined, exclusively scoring & playmaking role.
Replacing Wade with Smith gives Coach Lue a seamless transition + could help maximize their potential defensively.
D. Wade & the Cavs (2-1) host CHI (0-2) tomorrow on NBA TV (7 ET).