PHOTO: J.R. Smith is always shooting, even during team stretches

The next open shot J.R. Smith passes up will be the first.

That's not a bad thing. Smith has been great since being acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers in January, proving a player is more than just his skills but a product of his environment, attitude, and fit with a team. After languishing and seeing his performance decline with the New York Knicks, Smith rebounded to average 12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 39 percent from long-range with the Cavs.

Shooting is what the Cavs want Smith to do, and it's something he's doing well. He's averaging 13.5 points in the playoffs and knocking down 39.6 percent of his outside looks, with 78 percent of those looks getting fired off within two seconds of touching the ball.

Even in practice sessions, Smith is always firing. At Wednesday's session, which was open to the media, Smith was even working on his form during team stretching exercises.

Then someone made the mistake of getting him a ball.

It goes further than that - while the team huddled up, Smith was firing up jumpers from halfcourt. In his defense, he was wide open.

While Smith, and shot-happy guards in general, are sometimes scoffed at, the plight of a gunner isn't an easy one. Smith has to be ready to shoot at all times, with supreme confidence in his ability to knock down open looks. That may be even more paramount against the Golden State Warriors, who have few players shy about letting it fly.