CLEVELAND (AP) — Hindi na masaya sa koponan ng Cleveland Cavaliers ang tinaguriang ‘sixth-mn-player’ nito na si J.R. Smith matapos na unti-unting mawalan ng playing time sa nasabing koponan sa pagbubukas ng kasalukuyang season ng National Basketball Association (NBA).
Ayon sa report, inamin mismo ni Smith na alam ng management ng Cavaliers na hindi na siya nasiyahan sa kanyang papel sa koponan, gayung, mas priyoridad ng NBA 2017 season first runner-up team na mag focus sa kanilang mga batang manlalaro.
Dahil dito, ang tanging nais na mangyari ngayon ng 33-anyos na si Smith ay ang mai-trade na lamang siya sa ibang team upang magkaroon ng pagkakataon na makapaglaro ng maayos.
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“They know,” ani Smith patungkol sa kanyang plano. “They don’t want me, so they obviously know.”
Unti-unting nawalan ng sandalan ang Cavaliers nang lumipat sa LA Lakers ang superstar player nila na si LeBron James na sinundan agad ng pagkakasibak ng head coach na si Tyronn Lue, sanhi ng anim na sunod na pagkatalo sa pagsisimula ng 2018 season ng NBA.
“It is hard. Fortunately I got a great crew of people, former teammates, teammates, former coaches, lot of people in my ear that’s helped me to go through this process. But at the end of the day, I can’t take it out on my teammates. Regardless how hard it is to walk in here and actually put on, as hard as it may sound, to put on a Cavs jersey or shirt, I can’t do that to my teammates.I can’t do that to the fans,” malungkot na pahayag ni Smith.
Pansamantalang nakaupo ang assistant coach na si Larry Drew bilang coach ng nasabing koponan, ngunit ayon sa report nais na rin umano ng nasabing coach na gawin iyang interim coach ng Cavaliers bilang kapalit ng nasibak na si Lue.
Hindi lamang ito ang pagsubok na kinakaharap ngayon ng Cavs gayung, hindi rin makakapaglaro ng ilang linggo ang isa pa nilang superstar player na si Kevin Love sanhi ng toe, injury.
Sa kabila nito, mananatiling, propesyunal si Smith at patuloy na maglalaro para sa koponan, hangga’t may kontrata pa siya dito.
“There’s a lot of things that’s going on around here that I don’t know the answer to and I don’t know why it’s going on, but it is and I can’t control that. I just worry about what I can control, worry about being a good vet to these young guys who are playing — cheer for ‘em, help ’em as much as they want me to help. Other than that, I’m buying time, I guess,” ayon pa kay Smith.
