Dear Earl,

I have two words for you… I’m sorry.

I don’t know if you’ve already heard this mea culpa sentiment from other former doubters, haters or pessimists, but I for one can say in all honesty that I completely misjudged what your impact on this team would be from the start.

Count me among those who flinched, groaned or rolled their eyes when it was announced that you’d be joining this Cleveland Cavalier team on January 5, 2015, in exchange for your younger self (our resident enigma Saint Weirdo). I believed you were the added baggage, the salary dump throw in, the potential locker room cancer and the poison pill the Cavs had to swallow to get their coveted perimeter defender in your Knicks running mate, Iman Shumpert.

On some level, it was tough to blame critics like me with regard to your past behavior. It’s not like you had been a model citizen amongst your NBA brethren. In fact, your pre-Cavalier career was checkered with well-documented incidents both on and off the court.

From the serious (a multitude of brushes with law enforcement over major vehicular accidents and infractions), to the silly (untying the shoelaces of several opposing players… including your now teammate Shawn Marion), you were guilty of some fairly unbecoming behavior. Not to mention the propensity for poor decisions within games with some often highly questionable shot selection.

But it’s as if the move to the Cavs has fundamentally changed you. All of the old cliches have been applicable. You’ve “turned over a new leaf” gotten a “new lease on life” you’re feeling “like a new man” and so on…

And while it didn’t take long for you to show off your value, and get even your staunchest critics like me to start typing things like “JR SWISH!!!!” as you sank ridiculous deep threes in the Q, there was always the looming potential of the other shoe dropping (or in this case, being unlaced).

I’ll admit, there were moments early on following the trade where I kept thinking, “Okay, this is pretty good, but just wait until ‘Bad JR’ shows up…” In fact, it seemed inevitable that eventually you would pull something to make us all remember our trepidation at having your “head case waiting to happen” persona emerge once more.

But it’s now been several months of “Good JR” and it’s been a pleasure to watch. Whether it can be attributed to your close relationship with LBJ from your summers practicing together, the fact that you’re on a winning team with something to play for, or just (as you say) the lack of nightlife in the Cleveland area that is keeping you in line… whatever it is, it’s working.

Once upon a time, somewhere between Melo and Linsanity… you found a way to harness your considerable skills to capture the NBA’s 6th Man of the Year Award. You averaged a career high 18.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.7 apg, and 1.3 steals per game in 33.5 mpg during the 2012-2013 season.

But now, you’ve transcended sixth man status, fully cementing yourself as part of the starting five for a team with championship aspirations. You were supposed to be an instant offense, three ball gunner off the bench, leaving the starting spot for Iman and his awesome hair. But something changed. You showed Coach Blatt just how much a change of scenery affected your outlook on things. You proved you belonged in the starting unit as a true floor spacing guard who could fit the three and D mold without missing a beat. You’ve even become a willing passer when your hair-trigger shot isn’t available, and made some spectacularly sublime assists and alley-oops.

In the 38 games since you joined the Cavs (37 of which you’ve started), you’ve averaged 13 ppg on 43% shooting (40% from three), with 3.7 rpg, 2.6 apg and (a new career high) 1.6 steals per game in 32 mpg. And you just followed an offensive clinic against the Bucks (23 points on 11 shots, going 7-9 from distance with a shrug for the fans that seemed to say “I was open… what did you people expect?”), with a defensive clinic against the Grizzlies (clamping down on Courtney Lee, Vinsanity and Tony Allen on the wings, with a couple of terrific steals and a gigantic block on Marc Gasol). And speaking of that… you’ve surprisingly played some of the most active and effective defense of your 10 year career, using your 6’6″ frame and long arms to help lock down the perimeter most games.

For a guy who once famously said that defense was “not my area of expertise,” you’ve certainly stepped your game up since arriving in Cleveland, fighting through screens with abandon, poking your hands into passing lanes and averaging a better DRPM than guys like Dwayne Wade, Eric Gordon, Victor Oladipo, and almost twice as good as the man you replaced in Dion. Even AC has been impressed lately, getting his vociferous props for your defensive prowess off his chest as only AC can.

Not that a less than stellar attention to defense was entirely your fault before. Your dad, Earl Jr., once said this about teaching you and your brother the game… “Defense was the last thing I taught them, because you can make it without defense” (which was taken from this terrific Grantland piece that I admit I should have read much sooner after the trade for a better understanding of all things JR).

Even though things didn’t start out all that well with your ominous comments before your first game with the Cavs against Houston, and despite losing the first four games you played here, there’s no denying you’ve been a key part of the team going 28-6 since that rocky beginning.

You’ve been a model teammate from all reports, you’ve been an extremely entertaining interview and, most importantly, you haven’t been a distraction to what this team is working hard to accomplish. You are no longer part of the problem… but part of the solution.

You’ve even offset your earlier comments with some even more entertaining ones like this exchange with a reporter in late January…

Q: How deep does your shooting range go?

A: “Whenever I step into the gym.”

Q: Seriously, how deep do you feel comfortable shooting the ball?

A: “I feel comfortable shooting at half court as a spot-up shot, so probably a little beyond that.”

That might sound absurd to most people, but of course, this comes from a guy whose nickname (rightfully so) is J.R. Swish… and you’ve lived up to it night in and night out with an impressive array of three point bombs.

While your on-the-court play has spoken for itself, you’ve even collected some attention for your off-the-court activity. But this time, it was for looking good (not bad) in winning the All-Star Weekend Fashion Show (which you apparently stayed up all night preparing for) in your swanky, fur fringed coat (that either Shaq or Charles probably absconded with afterwards)…

And just the other day, I came across this awesome Cavs sponsored contest that seems like it would be possibly one of the most entertaining nights out I could imagine…

Apparently, this wasn’t the only “eat wings with JR” contest giveaway. After one lucky fan hit a Quaker Steak & Lube bullseye with a rubber chicken at the Q, he and his buddy also got to share some wings with you this past week… (link courtesy of commenter Arch Stanton).

So, I hope you’ll accept my humble apologies for jumping to my own knee jerk conclusions about you, Earl. I admit I was dead wrong… and I’m happy I was. Your play, attitude and effect on this team has been one of the more pleasant revelations in a Cavalier season for the ages.

Sincerely,

EvilGenius

P.S. — Please keep it up…