Kyle Korver to start against Phoenix Suns

In a season of changes for the Cleveland Cavaliers, it appears that the starting lineup will undergo another makeover. J.R. Smith’s time as a starter appears to be over, as the team is moving him to the bench for Tuesday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns.

While Rodney Hood is once again not available to play, Tyronn Lue is still moving Smith to the bench in favor of Kyle Korver:

Vardon offered this explanation from Lue on the change in lineup:

He offered virtually no explanation for the Korver-Smith move, except basically to say that the two guard spot belongs to Hood when he’s ready.

This is a move that’s probably overdue. The Cavs net rating has been 6.8 points better with Smith on the floor. His shooting has been unreliable, and his defense has been completely non-existent. It’ll be interesting to see if there is a role on the bench that Lue has in mind, or if we will start to see him be the odd guard out when the team gets healthy.