Marcus Smart is nothing special...why are yall so delusional?

[ddb]

I just don't know why Smart isn't driving to the hoop and drawing contact.

In college, he averaged 6.5 and 8 FTA per game. In his first season in the NBA, he's at 2 FTA per game. Is he just afraid contact all of a sudden?

Simply, I don't think he feels or that the coaching staff wants him to be using a lot of possessions "developing" his game during this playoff push. I mean, be opportunistic and confident, but stay in your lane offensively. Turner, Bradley and Thomas all have earned more "free license" offensively on this team or in this league.

Smart came in under Rondo and Turner... And then IT was brought in. The tools are there but Smart is going to have to learn how to use his body, angles, change of speeds to get in the lane more consistently. That's tough when the game is still moving a bit fast around you because afterall you're a rookie, playing one of the deepest and most difficult positions in one of the most ruthlessly competitive professional leagues in the world of sports.

I have full confidence that Smart is on a really great career track. He's in that Jason Kidd-Gary Payton mold of leader.

I agree with this. I think it's more of a coaching decision then anything else. Turner & IT are the primary creators/ball handlers on this team. Even Bradley to a certain extent. Marcus Smart has earned a role in the starting lineup & rotation because he defends first and foremost...but also because he doesn't screw up the rhythm on O. He makes the right pass more often then not...He seems to pick his spots offensively which fits in with what the C's are doing right now. Moving forward into next season and beyond, Smart will likely have more freedom as a decision maker.

And lets not discount that the majority of rookie PG's struggle to run a team. The game is a lot different then the NCAA game. Shot clock is shorter, opposing Defenses are quicker and better...the game is much, much faster and more robust.

Also, it could be that Brad Stevens and Danny Ainge view Smart more as a "combo" guard and want to develop him off the ball as well. That sorta fits in to what the C's are doing right now.

[Edug27]

I just don't know why Smart isn't driving to the hoop and drawing contact.

In college, he averaged 6.5 and 8 FTA per game. In his first season in the NBA, he's at 2 FTA per game. Is he just afraid contact all of a sudden?

Simply, I don't think he feels or that the coaching staff wants him to be using a lot of possessions "developing" his game during this playoff push. I mean, be opportunistic and confident, but stay in your lane offensively. Turner, Bradley and Thomas all have earned more "free license" offensively on this team or in this league.

Smart came in under Rondo and Turner... And then IT was brought in. The tools are there but Smart is going to have to learn how to use his body, angles, change of speeds to get in the lane more consistently. That's tough when the game is still moving a bit fast around you because afterall you're a rookie, playing one of the deepest and most difficult positions in one of the most ruthlessly competitive professional leagues in the world of sports.

I have full confidence that Smart is on a really great career track. He's in that Jason Kidd-Gary Payton mold of leader.

I agree with this. I think it's more of a coaching decision then anything else. Turner & IT are the primary creators/ball handlers on this team. Even Bradley to a certain extent. Marcus Smart has earned a role in the starting lineup & rotation because he defends first and foremost...but also because he doesn't screw up the rhythm on O. He makes the right pass more often then not...He seems to pick his spots offensively which fits in with what the C's are doing right now. Moving forward into next season and beyond, Smart will likely have more freedom as a decision maker.

And lets not discount that the majority of rookie PG's struggle to run a team. The game is a lot different then the NCAA game. Shot clock is shorter, opposing Defenses are quicker and better...the game is much, much faster and more robust.

Also, it could be that Brad Stevens and Danny Ainge view Smart more as a "combo" guard and want to develop him off the ball as well. That sorta fits in to what the C's are doing right now.

I think the 'coaches decision' angle is just a pretty lame excuse. We are all hoping to see Marcus develop, but lets not lose sight here. We are in a playoff push now, but he was the same player back in December when the idea of playoffs seemed far stretched. Coaches don't prevent players from driving to the basket. And freedom? He's had the green light to launch 4-7 threes a game, most of those not being within the flow of the offense either. There has been times when he has the ball and hes one on one with a defender and has the chance to make a move to the basket, but doesn't. If he had shown the skill to do so in practice and summer league and preseason, then I don't see why the coaches would limit him from doing what he does best.

Point is, there is a side of his game that he doesn't feel comfortable or confident in yet. That's a Marcus issue, not a Brad/Danny issue. He's a rookie so I expect him to be more aggressive next season.

[bigdavid]

Smart at present is not a good shooter but many players develop a better shooting ability while working on their game.The biggest asset Smart has is as a defensive player.He is tough and a fighter ( in a good way) He is young and will take a little time to develop a shooters game. I would like to see him drive to the hoop more and forget the contested 3's.

[ddb]

Simply, I don't think he feels or that the coaching staff wants him to be using a lot of possessions "developing" his game during this playoff push. I mean, be opportunistic and confident, but stay in your lane offensively. Turner, Bradley and Thomas all have earned more "free license" offensively on this team or in this league.

Smart came in under Rondo and Turner... And then IT was brought in. The tools are there but Smart is going to have to learn how to use his body, angles, change of speeds to get in the lane more consistently. That's tough when the game is still moving a bit fast around you because afterall you're a rookie, playing one of the deepest and most difficult positions in one of the most ruthlessly competitive professional leagues in the world of sports.

I have full confidence that Smart is on a really great career track. He's in that Jason Kidd-Gary Payton mold of leader.

I agree with this. I think it's more of a coaching decision then anything else. Turner & IT are the primary creators/ball handlers on this team. Even Bradley to a certain extent. Marcus Smart has earned a role in the starting lineup & rotation because he defends first and foremost...but also because he doesn't screw up the rhythm on O. He makes the right pass more often then not...He seems to pick his spots offensively which fits in with what the C's are doing right now. Moving forward into next season and beyond, Smart will likely have more freedom as a decision maker.

And lets not discount that the majority of rookie PG's struggle to run a team. The game is a lot different then the NCAA game. Shot clock is shorter, opposing Defenses are quicker and better...the game is much, much faster and more robust.

Also, it could be that Brad Stevens and Danny Ainge view Smart more as a "combo" guard and want to develop him off the ball as well. That sorta fits in to what the C's are doing right now.

I think the 'coaches decision' angle is just a pretty lame excuse. We are all hoping to see Marcus develop, but lets not lose sight here. We are in a playoff push now, but he was the same player back in December when the idea of playoffs seemed far stretched. Coaches don't prevent players from driving to the basket. And freedom? He's had the green light to launch 4-7 threes a game, most of those not being within the flow of the offense either. There has been times when he has the ball and hes one on one with a defender and has the chance to make a move to the basket, but doesn't. If he had shown the skill to do so in practice and summer league and preseason, then I don't see why the coaches would limit him from doing what he does best.

Point is, there is a side of his game that he doesn't feel comfortable or confident in yet. That's a Marcus issue, not a Brad/Danny issue. He's a rookie so I expect him to be more aggressive next season.

Smart will be fine. He's literally the least of my worries. He has shown me a lot this season as a rookie. IF at the end of next season he is still the same exact player, then I'll start to be concerned.

[Edug27]

I agree with this. I think it's more of a coaching decision then anything else. Turner & IT are the primary creators/ball handlers on this team. Even Bradley to a certain extent. Marcus Smart has earned a role in the starting lineup & rotation because he defends first and foremost...but also because he doesn't screw up the rhythm on O. He makes the right pass more often then not...He seems to pick his spots offensively which fits in with what the C's are doing right now. Moving forward into next season and beyond, Smart will likely have more freedom as a decision maker.

And lets not discount that the majority of rookie PG's struggle to run a team. The game is a lot different then the NCAA game. Shot clock is shorter, opposing Defenses are quicker and better...the game is much, much faster and more robust.

Also, it could be that Brad Stevens and Danny Ainge view Smart more as a "combo" guard and want to develop him off the ball as well. That sorta fits in to what the C's are doing right now.

I think the 'coaches decision' angle is just a pretty lame excuse. We are all hoping to see Marcus develop, but lets not lose sight here. We are in a playoff push now, but he was the same player back in December when the idea of playoffs seemed far stretched. Coaches don't prevent players from driving to the basket. And freedom? He's had the green light to launch 4-7 threes a game, most of those not being within the flow of the offense either. There has been times when he has the ball and hes one on one with a defender and has the chance to make a move to the basket, but doesn't. If he had shown the skill to do so in practice and summer league and preseason, then I don't see why the coaches would limit him from doing what he does best.

Point is, there is a side of his game that he doesn't feel comfortable or confident in yet. That's a Marcus issue, not a Brad/Danny issue. He's a rookie so I expect him to be more aggressive next season.

Smart will be fine. He's literally the least of my worries. He has shown me a lot this season as a rookie. IF at the end of next season he is still the same exact player, then I'll start to be concerned.

I hear ya. I'm not worried that he'll be a fine role player. But I am worried he'll live up to being a top 6 pick. I haven't seen enough from him as a rookie to not be worried. And If you're not worried, it just means you're really high on him based off his college career and trust he'll figure it out in the pros. Which is cool. Either way, I'm sure Brad will get the most out of him. So its not a panic kind of worry, haha.

[ddb]

I think the 'coaches decision' angle is just a pretty lame excuse. We are all hoping to see Marcus develop, but lets not lose sight here. We are in a playoff push now, but he was the same player back in December when the idea of playoffs seemed far stretched. Coaches don't prevent players from driving to the basket. And freedom? He's had the green light to launch 4-7 threes a game, most of those not being within the flow of the offense either. There has been times when he has the ball and hes one on one with a defender and has the chance to make a move to the basket, but doesn't. If he had shown the skill to do so in practice and summer league and preseason, then I don't see why the coaches would limit him from doing what he does best.

Point is, there is a side of his game that he doesn't feel comfortable or confident in yet. That's a Marcus issue, not a Brad/Danny issue. He's a rookie so I expect him to be more aggressive next season.

Smart will be fine. He's literally the least of my worries. He has shown me a lot this season as a rookie. IF at the end of next season he is still the same exact player, then I'll start to be concerned.

I hear ya. I'm not worried that he'll be a fine role player. But I am worried he'll live up to being a top 6 pick. I haven't seen enough from him as a rookie to not be worried. And If you're not worried, it just means you're really high on him based off his college career and trust he'll figure it out in the pros. Which is cool. Either way, I'm sure Brad will get the most out of him. So its not a panic kind of worry, haha.

I actually didn't love Marcus Smart in college and wasn't a huge fan of the pick at first. But I've grown to love him because he's a special player on the defensive side of the ball, and seems to have a knack for the big moment...If he ever develops into a knock down shooter who also gets to the FT line, then watch out. Worst case scenario I still think he'll be an excellent rotation player..

[Bluewhale]

Right now, Smart is too slow to beat his man off the dribble. Right now he lacks the leaping ability to finish at the rim. Right now he has sub par playmaking skills. Right now he has a pretty poor outside shot. He is savvy and physically mature so it's unclear to me where the upside will come from.

I think he is a solid role player - the kind of guy that Ainge excels at getting in the late first round. However, he has great strength and size and toughness for his position - that will always give him somewhat of an advantage.

Where the upside come from?
1. Marcus could be a better spot shooter. So far he is still inconsistent. He could be a 38%+ spot 3 point shooter and it will help the team a lot.

2. Marcus could be better when shooting off dribble. Marcus is notoriously inconsistent in shoot off dribble at college. So far he didn't improve much. Thank about the deadly Billup-style pick and shoot move.

3. Marcus could have better ball handling skill. Up to now he didn't even try to slash when he is defended by a big man. He definitely could improve here.

I am not sure if Marcus could finish around the rim well because he is not that explosive.
I am not sure if Marcus could be an all star.

But I am sure Marcus could be much better than what he is now.

[KumaJG]

Marcus Smart at best a role player / solid starter. He haven't shown any improvement from the time he was named the starter to where he is now.

[KGboss]

Marcus Smart at best a role player / solid starter. He haven't shown any improvement from the time he was named the starter to where he is now.

Thats a very short sighted opinion with not a lot of actual evidence to back it up. He has had good offensive games, he has had average offensive games. his defense is always on point and his understanding of the game is where i see the most improvement. his passing and leadership skills, ball handling, running the offense and playing off the ball as well. Saying he has no improvement since the time he started shows you have very little knowledge if his actual contribution and his growth as a player.

[KumaJG]

Marcus Smart at best a role player / solid starter. He haven't shown any improvement from the time he was named the starter to where he is now.

Thats a very short sighted opinion with not a lot of actual evidence to back it up. He has had good offensive games, he has had average offensive games. his defense is always on point and his understanding of the game is where i see the most improvement. his passing and leadership skills, ball handling, running the offense and playing off the ball as well. Saying he has no improvement since the time he started shows you have very little knowledge if his actual contribution and his growth as a player.

He defense always been his a strong attribute. His leadership always been there. Not much to improve in those department. His scoring is still inconsistent. Balling handling still sub par. Still limited in the offense. He is raw. Nothing wrong with that. Judging from I seen from since January and until now he is a role player / solid starter at best. Nothing screams all-star to me.

[Heinsohn Truth]

Just an observation, OP has but this one post and 10 pages of responses. That is more conversation than I've started in my life and I talk a lot. Impressive.

[return2glory]

Smart is doing much to help this team right now. For a 6th overall pick, I'm not really impressed with him as much as most here.

[tmorgan]

Unless you come into the league with enough insane athletic ability to go by/over people (Jordan, Wade... THAT type of rare ability), learning to drive effectively takes time. I like Smart, and I think he'll be a good player in a couple of years. I expect you'll see some improvement in his dribble drive game in his second year, ala KCP here in Detroit.

(in fact, now that I think of it... Smart and KCP are similar in a lot of ways. Defensive-minded guys with questionable handles and inconsistent shots. Smart is thicker and stronger, KCP is longer, but similar anyway.)

[sam_I_am]

Smart is doing much to help this team right now. For a 6th overall pick, I'm not really impressed with him as much as most here.

Ditto. I think he is a guy that will be looked at as 15-20th best player in a future "Redraft". That said, on the bright side unlike our other late first round gems his size strength and defensive ability for his position are the best possible. That is why I continue to insist he is a championship caliber role player. Unfortunately the organization needs home runs with its lotto picks not line drive singles.

[Freddie Mitch]

If you guys are disappointed in Smart, who would you have picked instead at #6? Julius Randle? He's been injured all year and hasn't proven anything. Stauskas? Vonleh? The only player I could possibly think of is Payton who went #10, but this draft class as a whole hasn't done much at all. Wiggins has been good, Parker was good until he got injured, Embiid has been out all year, and Exum has been terrible and Gordon hasn't been that much better. Not a whole lot of options.

[KumaJG]

If you guys are disappointed in Smart, who would you have picked instead at #6? Julius Randle? He's been injured all year and hasn't proven anything. Stauskas? Vonleh? The only player I could possibly think of is Payton who went #10, but this draft class as a whole hasn't done much at all. Wiggins has been good, Parker was good until he got injured, Embiid has been out all year, and Exum has been terrible and Gordon hasn't been that much better. Not a whole lot of options.

Noah Vonleh, Payton and Julius Randle were my picks. If we picked Vonleh/Randle @ 6 I would of liked Jordan Clarkson @ out 20th pick.

[Freddie Mitch]

If you guys are disappointed in Smart, who would you have picked instead at #6? Julius Randle? He's been injured all year and hasn't proven anything. Stauskas? Vonleh? The only player I could possibly think of is Payton who went #10, but this draft class as a whole hasn't done much at all. Wiggins has been good, Parker was good until he got injured, Embiid has been out all year, and Exum has been terrible and Gordon hasn't been that much better. Not a whole lot of options.

Noah Vonleh, Payton and Julius Randle were my picks. If we picked Vonleh/Randle @ 6 I would of liked Jordan Clarkson @ out 20th pick.

If you guys are disappointed in Smart, who would you have picked instead at #6? Julius Randle? He's been injured all year and hasn't proven anything. Stauskas? Vonleh? The only player I could possibly think of is Payton who went #10, but this draft class as a whole hasn't done much at all. Wiggins has been good, Parker was good until he got injured, Embiid has been out all year, and Exum has been terrible and Gordon hasn't been that much better. Not a whole lot of options.

Noah Vonleh, Payton and Julius Randle were my picks. If we picked Vonleh/Randle @ 6 I would of liked Jordan Clarkson @ out 20th pick.

Vonleh can barely get off the bench for Charlotte and Randle has shown less than Smart. Again, I'll give you Payton but besides him, there really weren't many better options available at the 6th pick. And Clarkson was the 46th pick so could've easily just bought a mid second round pick to snab him.

[KGboss]

Nothing special my big toe, boy!

[KumaJG]

If you guys are disappointed in Smart, who would you have picked instead at #6? Julius Randle? He's been injured all year and hasn't proven anything. Stauskas? Vonleh? The only player I could possibly think of is Payton who went #10, but this draft class as a whole hasn't done much at all. Wiggins has been good, Parker was good until he got injured, Embiid has been out all year, and Exum has been terrible and Gordon hasn't been that much better. Not a whole lot of options.

Noah Vonleh, Payton and Julius Randle were my picks. If we picked Vonleh/Randle @ 6 I would of liked Jordan Clarkson @ out 20th pick.

If you guys are disappointed in Smart, who would you have picked instead at #6? Julius Randle? He's been injured all year and hasn't proven anything. Stauskas? Vonleh? The only player I could possibly think of is Payton who went #10, but this draft class as a whole hasn't done much at all. Wiggins has been good, Parker was good until he got injured, Embiid has been out all year, and Exum has been terrible and Gordon hasn't been that much better. Not a whole lot of options.

Noah Vonleh, Payton and Julius Randle were my picks. If we picked Vonleh/Randle @ 6 I would of liked Jordan Clarkson @ out 20th pick.

Vonleh can barely get off the bench for Charlotte and Randle has shown less than Smart. Again, I'll give you Payton but besides him, there really weren't many better options available at the 6th pick. And Clarkson was the 46th pick so could've easily just bought a mid second round pick to snab him.

Vonleh not getting develop because the coaching staff in Charlotte stupid. He was top 3-5 pick.
Are you really judging Randle when he been out all season? You being unfair.
Jordan should of been a first round pick. No reason why he felt so low.

Side-Notes:

My picks are base on what I seen from their college games(I actually watch college ball all season).

There is no need to go to great length to defend Marcus Smart. People have right to be critical of what they see especially when a high pick was used on him. So people expect more from a #6 pick. That's fine. Others are content with what they see. That fine too. It just criticism.

[FlopShow2013]

I approve this thread OP