Marcus Smart

[AlCelticFan]

I like Turner a lot. Seems like a great teammate and he helped us a ton, but handing over the reigns to Smart was long overdue, IMO. It's fine though. Smart is only in his third year, and he seems to be developing very well now.

Statistically I don't see Marcus developing much at all.

His 3-point shooting is up marginally, helping him match his rookie year TS% and his assists are up post-Evan, but his turnovers are too. He's having a great February, but he was totally within his norms in every other month this season.

He has been a positive impact guy from day 1, but he hasn't developed much at all.

You are kidding right? Unless you don't think shot selection is development? His handles, BBIQ, and general passing instincts are night and day improved from his rookie year. I'd have to check his PnR stats, but I bet those are also night and day compared to his rookie year.

Just because his raw statistics have been on a plateau doesn't mean he hasn't been improving and developing.

He used to shoot almost entirely from 3. Now he's shooting a lot more in the post as well, and getting into the paint and passing from the post. His offensive game is more mature for sure now.

[bs_and_cs]

If you haven't seen the development in Smart, you just flat out aren't watching the games.

I don't care what the stats say. The game is played on the court. Not in the stat books. If you only judged guys on stats you wouldn't realize how huge an impact IT is having on this team.

[Taget]

I'm fine with Smart right now. But I also have lower expectations for him. I remember when we drafted him and we all dreamed of "superstar" potential I mentioned the case of Tony Battie in Denver. He was drafted #2 by Denver and when they saw he wasn't a star their gm labeled him "el busto" and gave him to the Celtics for peanuts. Turned out while he wasn't the superstar they were hoping for he actually turned out to be a really good player who was a key part of a Celtics team that made it to the ECF and had a long and productive career in the NBA. Even if a high draft pick is not the next Paul Pierce that does not mean they are not a useful piece. Unfortunately I don't see Smart as being the "star" we were hoping for. But he has shown a lot of really high value for the franchise. And you know what? I look at that draft and I am not sure who I would draft instead. I wouldn't trade him for Julius Randle.

He does his job on defense. Improving on offense. He may not be THE piece we were looking for. But he is a piece I am very happy to have.

[ConstableGeneva]

Read on Twitter

So if he shaves his armpits and pubes, he'll turn into Steph Curry?! DO IT FOR THE TEAM, MARCUS!!

[2Mas]

Statistically I don't see Marcus developing much at all.

His 3-point shooting is up marginally, helping him match his rookie year TS% and his assists are up post-Evan, but his turnovers are too. He's having a great February, but he was totally within his norms in every other month this season.

He has been a positive impact guy from day 1, but he hasn't developed much at all.

You are kidding right? Unless you don't think shot selection is development? His handles, BBIQ, and general passing instincts are night and day improved from his rookie year. I'd have to check his PnR stats, but I bet those are also night and day compared to his rookie year.

Just because his raw statistics have been on a plateau doesn't mean he hasn't been improving and developing.

He used to shoot almost entirely from 3. Now he's shooting a lot more in the post as well, and getting into the paint and passing from the post. His offensive game is more mature for sure now.

I don't think Slart is wrong.

His stats are not that much better. The biggest jump is a 1.5 jump in assist. It doesn't look great. That's why all my non boston friends (the majority of ppl in my life) think I overrate Smart.

BUT -- Game isn't based on stats. It's clear Smart has gotten better. & His stats from 2017 on have been better.

His statistical increase is slow. & it will be cause he usually shooting 10 shots a game. But you gotta love what he's been showing.

[Green89]

Read on Twitter

[Dannyboy36]

I think he's finally being used the way he should have from year one. I absolutely love him as backup point. The expectations were the Boston media's fault. The heir to Rondo crap. Players that have nothing in common .
Rondo was a great dribbler, smart not. Smart a good defender, Rondo not. Rondo had crazy bbiq you can't teach. Smart not so much.
Regardless of Rondo's attitude and if he simply needed to go, it was never fair with the way the media spun it as he had the keys to run the team now. The expectations were silly.
I myself expected a little more out of him ( purely from youtubes lol) but there are still, in my mind, unfair expectations on him( only by some in Boston) Other teams aren't concerned with our sixth man, ofcourse.
I'm not saying he is tony Allen 2.0 because overall I now believe he can be better than that .But Tony Allen 2.0 is pretty sweet. If he's nothing more than what he's been showing lately, if the staff keeps his 3 attempts down, he's only a positive .

[Gomes3PC]

Rondo was a very good, frankly near-elite defender when he came into the league. It's once it became "Rondo's Team", he stopped giving a sht about that end of the court, and once he got injured the athleticism really sapped him.

[Dannyboy36]

Rondo was a very good, frankly near-elite defender when he came into the league. It's once it became "Rondo's Team", he stopped giving a sht about that end of the court, and once he got injured the athleticism really sapped him.

I agree. He was once elite on d. The inhury did him in more than anything. When ya can't shoot and no longer have that explosiveness, him plummeting should be expected.

[Slartibartfast]

Rondo was a very good, frankly near-elite defender when he came into the league. It's once it became "Rondo's Team", he stopped giving a sht about that end of the court, and once he got injured the athleticism really sapped him.

I agree. He was once elite on d. The inhury did him in more than anything. When ya can't shoot and no longer have that explosiveness, him plummeting should be expected.

Attitude as much as injury done him in. He started going Kobe in moments even before the injury - just zoning and trying to play defensive quarterback instead of sticking an assignment. Reverted to that almost exclusively post-injury.

He showed that he can still bring it against us in the first half against Chicago - problem is he rarely musters that much defensive energy anymore.

[CeltsfanSinceBirth]

Smart seems like a guy that Ainge values, similar to how he viewed Rondo back in 2007. Ainge was ready to walk away from the KG trade when McHale was insisting on Rondo. Wyc and Glen Taylor had to take over the negotiations at that point, where Wyc convinced Taylor to take Telfair just to push the trade through.

I'm not saying that Ainge would walk away from any deal involving Smart. However, depending on what else he's giving up, he might insist on Smart remaining a Celtic. The guy has value beyond what a stat sheet shows. He and Crowder are part of the hard-working, "win by any means necessary" culture that's been established here. I hate using the cliches, but those guys provide intangibles.....the heart and soul of the team.

[Dannyboy36]

Smart seems like a guy that Ainge values, similar to how he viewed Rondo back in 2007. Ainge was ready to walk away from the KG trade when McHale was insisting on Rondo. Wyc and Glen Taylor had to take over the negotiations at that point, where Wyc convinced Taylor to take Telfair just to push the trade through.

I'm not saying that Ainge would walk away from any deal involving Smart. However, depending on what else he's giving up, he might insist on Smart remaining a Celtic. The guy has value beyond what a stat sheet shows. He and Crowder are part of the hard-working, "win by any means necessary" culture that's been established here. I hate using the cliches, but those guys provide intangibles.....the heart and soul of the team.

Yeah, they are cliches but there's no getting around it. Both guys are a major pain in the butt for opponents to be guarded by.

[Cuban Pete]

If you haven't seen the development in Smart, you just flat out aren't watching the games.

I don't care what the stats say. The game is played on the court. Not in the stat books. If you only judged guys on stats you wouldn't realize how huge an impact IT is having on this team.

Actually, the stats say that Horford, Smart, and Crowder each have a better impact on the team than Thomas.

http://stats.nba.com/team/#!/1610612738/onoffcourt-traditional/?sort=PLUS_MINUS&dir=-1

[ConstableGeneva]

Read on Twitter

[gezetta]

FWIW, Marcus leads his class in minutes played in wins

Spoiler:

Player MP_in_wins
#1 Marcus Smart 3131
#2 Rodney Hood 2672
#3 Andrew Wiggins 2560
#4 Elfrid Payton 2391
#5 Jabari Parker 2143
#6 Kyle Anderson 1749
#7 Gary Harris 1745
#8 Doug McDermott 1725
#9 Zach LaVine 1697
#10 Clint Capela 1608
#11 Aaron Gordon 1528
#12 Nikola Jokic 1393
#13 Jordan Clarkson 1389
#14 Dante Exum 1348

[Valid]

FWIW, Marcus leads his class in minutes played in wins

Spoiler:

Player MP_in_wins
#1 Marcus Smart 3131
#2 Rodney Hood 2672
#3 Andrew Wiggins 2560
#4 Elfrid Payton 2391
#5 Jabari Parker 2143
#6 Kyle Anderson 1749
#7 Gary Harris 1745
#8 Doug McDermott 1725
#9 Zach LaVine 1697
#10 Clint Capela 1608
#11 Aaron Gordon 1528
#12 Nikola Jokic 1393
#13 Jordan Clarkson 1389
#14 Dante Exum 1348

*cue T-Pain lyrics*

[Gomes3PC]

Smart is a very respectable 58% inside the arc over the last month. 3 pointer has evaporated during the same span, but still a solid 56% TS% over those 13 games thanks to the 2 point improvement and continued success at the FT line.

If he can just get into that range over a full 82 games - ~55-56% TS% instead of sub-50% - he'll be a truly elite player.

[ddb]

Smart seems like a guy that Ainge values, similar to how he viewed Rondo back in 2007. Ainge was ready to walk away from the KG trade when McHale was insisting on Rondo. Wyc and Glen Taylor had to take over the negotiations at that point, where Wyc convinced Taylor to take Telfair just to push the trade through.

I'm not saying that Ainge would walk away from any deal involving Smart. However, depending on what else he's giving up, he might insist on Smart remaining a Celtic. The guy has value beyond what a stat sheet shows. He and Crowder are part of the hard-working, "win by any means necessary" culture that's been established here. I hate using the cliches, but those guys provide intangibles.....the heart and soul of the team.

100% agree. Smart isn't going anywhere. He will never be a 20ppg guy in the league, but what he brings to the team is special...

Sent from my SM-G930T using RealGM mobile app

[Slartibartfast]

Smart is a very respectable 58% inside the arc over the last month. 3 pointer has evaporated during the same span, but still a solid 56% TS% over those 13 games thanks to the 2 point improvement and continued success at the FT line.

If he can just get into that range over a full 82 games - ~55-56% TS% instead of sub-50% - he'll be a truly elite player.

Hard for him to sustain that TS% on volume without improvement from 3. But if he can that's the Andre Miller trajectory.

[KumaJG]

What he bring to this team special? You never seen an elite goon?