Cavs' Blatt on Smith, Shumpert: 'Honestly, they've been a godsend'

Nobody ever thought J.R. Smith would be the solution to a problem.

As it turns out, the acquisition of Smith - and Iman Shumpert, and Timofey Mozgov shortly after that - has helped turn around a moribund Cleveland Cavaliers season. The Cavs dropped their first four games with the new trio to bottom out at 19-20 but have since gone 16-2, surging to within a half-game of third in the Eastern Conference.

Ahead of Sunday's ridiculous victory over the New York Knicks, Cavaliers head coach David Blatt was glowing about Smith and Shumpert. Both players struggled some to fit in with a new regime in New York, and the beneficiary has been the Cavs. As Blatt raved:

J.R. Smith has been a dream for us, as a team and for me personally. I love the guy. I love coaching him. He comes to work every single day. He's a great teammate. He's playing both ends of the court for us consistently. He's one of the main reasons for our turnaround, together with Iman, who simply started later because of the injury. Those guys, honestly, they've been a godsend. They really have. They turned the team around.

Yes, that's an NBA coach calling J.R. Smith a godsend. Strange times.

To qualify Blatt's rave reviews - which, to be clear, are warranted considering how well Smith has played - the two moves helped to balance out a roster that desperately needed some balancing. They also coincided with a return from injury for LeBron James, who has looked far more spry since coming back.

Still, it's amazing what the right situation can do for a player and the perception of him.