LeBron: J.R. Smith 'deserves an invite' to the 3-point contest
J.R. Smith has been on fire from three-point distance recently, and after he went 5-of-6 from deep in the Cavaliers' blowout win in Minnesota on Friday, LeBron James said his teammate should get an invite to the three-point contest the league will hold at All-Star weekend in Toronto in a few short weeks.
"He's never been invited," James said, via ESPN.com. "I think I might need to start making that petition. Us being the No. 1 team in the East, him shooting the ball the way he's been shooting it, we need to try to get as many guys to All-Star as possible. Guys know in the league he's an unbelievable 3-point shooter and he deserves an invite."
Smith has gotten hot over the past couple of weeks, but he's still outside the top 25 in terms of percentage from beyond the arc. Hi is 12th in the league in three-pointers made per game, however, and ranks 16th in the league in total threes made.
Only six players get invited to participate, and there would appear to be others more deserving. But maybe LeBron's words, along with the Cavaliers' standing as the best team in the East, will give Smith a shot.
