Marcus Smart

[Novocaine]

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/carmelo/marcus-smart/

I love this website. Is it perfect, no.

But it does highlight some stuff about Marcus. Yes we are right to dislike his shooting and aspects of his offensive game.

But it also highlights where we all underappreciate, his defense is that good.

Criminally under appreciated compared to all the talk on the other side of the ball.

Actually that website predicted that Smart's offensive contributions for this season would nearly match his defensive contributions. And that he'd offer more offensively than defensive in the next season.

The trouble is that the prediction has failed spectacularly. His offense is stagnant, any improvement over last season is at best residual (and I actually think his defense has got slightly worse this season, lots of spectacular plays but plenty of failed ones too and occasionally guys lighting him up - he's like the Marcus Camby of defensive guards).

So I'd expect to find a very different prediction once they update their projections.

His post all-star On/Off NetRtg is almost *** -30!! Like WTF!? Winning plays my ass. Without him on the floor we wouldn't even need to be in tight situations because he tanks our offense so much that his defense can't even outweight half of it.

Yeah, it's always puzzled me that people believe his defense can outweigh the offense when there's a staggering amount of possessions that are simply wasted and return zero points. The type of defensive impact necessary to upset that is very difficult for a guard to achieve.

[Novocaine]

But I just don't get why it always feels like he is the one jacking up low percentage shots when he is out there. He plays like a bulldog on D which is great, then up the other end he does his best Curry impersonation. And it's a crap impersonation.

He should be playing like a bulldog up the other end. He is a physical beast for a PG, which to me is what he is. It just always seems he ends up with average looks at the three point line. Is it him, is it coaching? I don't know. But it sucks at this stage because they always miss!

Isolate him, get him to drive. I don't care, just use the freaking bulk he has, he isn't built to be a finesse player!!! He will become a better shooter from 3, if he isn't taking every damn shot from there. He has the ability to a respected 3 point shooter, but he should be getting 10 shots around or in the paint, not at that bloody line he seems to hover over.

That was his game in college. I thought he'd be able to translate it to some extent - I was underrating how big everyone is on NBA and how good are teams at protecting the paint and the rim. Being a bully doesn't really work if you're 6'4'' - you need shiftness/ball-handling or speed or first-step/explosiveness.

[Patsfan81]

I thought Brad was the master at getting players to play at their strengths? Apparently he turns a blind eye to that when it comes to Smart's offensive shooting. Double standards

[Patsfan81]

If you take off the Homer glasses you see what Smart is. A defensive specialist backup ceiling. I as many fall for the random offensive weeks and think what if but it's fools gold. He lacks the explosiveness to ever be a good offensive player... And that he can't shoot a lick thing..

YES, YES, and YES!!

People need to get off their homerism and call a spade a spade. He is what he is. A defensive specialist off the bench. We get it Celtics' fans, we love our team and players. But there has to be a time when you just have to call it what it is despite being a homer.

[Celts17Pride]

Read on Twitter

[shackles10]

Read on Twitter

[Green89]

In '10-'11, the 62-20 Chicago Bulls had Keith Bogans, a non-offensive shooting guard, starting in all 82 games for them that season. He averaged only 4.4PPG, but also only took 307 shots on the year. I will also add that his FG% was .404 and .383 from deep.

In contrast, Marcus is coming off the bench, shooting .361 and .275, yet he's jacked up 710 shots this season. This cannot continue to happen for us to have success. The Bulls were able to utilize Bogans for his defense, keep his shots down to 3.7 attempts per game, and he knew his role and the coach didn't have him jacking up more shots than the better offensive players on the team. Smart is averaging nearly 10 shots per game. Unacceptable.

With Brad being a numbers guy, I can't even fathom how Smart repeatedly gets more shot attempts night in and night out than his better offensively talented teammates. Every player on the floor who plays more than 10 minutes per game should get more shot attempts than Smart. This is a must if we want playoff success.

That Himmelsbach article title is hilarious. You want Marcus to get out of his shooting slump? Have him take less shots, period!

[Homerclease]

In '10-'11, the 62-20 Chicago Bulls had Keith Bogans, a non-offensive shooting guard, starting in all 82 games for them that season. He averaged only 4.4PPG, but also only took 307 shots on the year. I will also add that his FG% was .404 and .383 from deep.

In contrast, Marcus is coming off the bench, shooting .361 and .275, yet he's jacked up 710 shots this season. This cannot continue to happen for us to have success. The Bulls were able to utilize Bogans for his defense, keep his shots down to 3.7 attempts per game, and he knew his role and the coach didn't have him jacking up more shots than the better offensive players on the team. Smart is averaging nearly 10 shots per game. Unacceptable.

With Brad being a numbers guy, I can't even fathom how Smart repeatedly gets more shot attempts night in and night out than his better offensively talented teammates. Every player on the floor who plays more than 10 minutes per game should get more shot attempts than Smart. This is a must if we want playoff success.

That Himmelsbach article title is hilarious. You want Marcus to get out of his shooting slump? Have him take less shots, period!

I agree, but when people suggest those shot opportunities go to Jaylen Brown they get killed on here. So who else is there to shoot? KO refuses to shoot 4/5 games, Rozier has been nearly as bad and don't get me started on Zeller and Jerebko. That leaves Green who's such a sieve on defense that he just gives the points right back on the other end.

Markelle Fultz can't get here soon enough.

[jmr07019]

Smart is such a perplexing player. He blows on offense but he's also been a top 5-6 player on a playoff team the last 3 seasons and played 25-30 mpg. There's something to be said for that. He's a back up but I would love to keep him for 8-10 mil a year. While there haven't been quality results yet I do think we've seen improvement from Smart

year 1 - couldn't get past his man and into the paint
year 2 - could get past his man but didn't make the right reads when he had the defense's attention
year 3 - can get to the paint and make the right read but still can't score

If he can keep improving bit by bit ala Bradley I think in 3-4 years he'll be a very good player. He's kinda like an Evan Turner. Can run the second unit, be a great locker room guy and defend multiple perimeter positions. Not what you want at 6 but not a complete bust either.

[jmr07019]

Read on Twitter

This is where you have to be careful with stats. That headline / stat would have you thinking he's the worst player on the team but he's the 5th or maybe 6th best player on the team behind IT, AB, Crowder, Horford and maybe Amir. KO has always been a plus minus darling but he can not be counted on every night while Marcus can.

[sam_I_am]

I think Marcus takes a lot of shots because they come easy. He misses a lot of good shots. He also is often the guy with that ball as shot clock expires. He never tries to nurse his shooting % which is a good thing. I think the numbers tell a lot of truths about Smart but still underestimate his contribution to team success.

[leper-con]

Smarts the new Rondo.

All intangibles can't shot a lick.

[PierceFan4ever]

It's simple why Smart shoots a lot. He has the ball in his hands a lot and a lot of our player can't create on their own. Yes, as mentioned as bad as Smart's shot selection may be, he also has plenty of good looks that should be taken by any player but he misses a good amount of those. Also, I've noticed a lot of times when a play is basically dead, Marcus decides to just force a shot himself because everyone is just standing offensively thinking that's IT out there. Jaylen soon enough will take over but he has handling issues which limits him at times.

[OBisHalJordan]

Smarts the new Rondo.

All intangibles can't shot a lick.

Smart is nowhere near the new Rondo. Smart isn't even the new Tony Allen, who was never as much of a train wreck on offense.

Let's revisit the Rondo comparison when Smart matches this performance:

Watch on YouTube

[FlatearthZorro]

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/carmelo/marcus-smart/

I love this website. Is it perfect, no.

But it does highlight some stuff about Marcus. Yes we are right to dislike his shooting and aspects of his offensive game.

But it also highlights where we all underappreciate, his defense is that good.

Criminally under appreciated compared to all the talk on the other side of the ball.

Actually that website predicted that Smart's offensive contributions for this season would nearly match his defensive contributions. And that he'd offer more offensively than defensive in the next season.

The trouble is that the prediction has failed spectacularly. His offense is stagnant, any improvement over last season is at best residual (and I actually think his defense has got slightly worse this season, lots of spectacular plays but plenty of failed ones too and occasionally guys lighting him up - he's like the Marcus Camby of defensive guards).

So I'd expect to find a very different prediction once they update their projections.

His post all-star On/Off NetRtg is almost *** -30!! Like WTF!? Winning plays my ass. Without him on the floor we wouldn't even need to be in tight situations because he tanks our offense so much that his defense can't even outweight half of it.

Yeah, it's always puzzled me that people believe his defense can outweigh the offense when there's a staggering amount of possessions that are simply wasted and return zero points. The type of defensive impact necessary to upset that is very difficult for a guard to achieve.

I'll actgually have to agree with the 2 of u. Smart has missed about 10 or more shots in 5 out of 6 games. If 5 of them 10 shots go in, we don't need winning rebounds or whatever. He needs a reality check, he's been somewhat delusional and he's taking shots from Horford and Brown. Both have been way better on offense than him.

[Datruth345]

I am a Marcus supporter but I am very discouraged with his lack of offensive progress this year.
He is a horrible shooter as we all know, but i grow increasingly frustrated at his inability to finish in the paint. He has not evolved past his tendency to just bull his way to the rim and throw up an awful shot after he initiates contact( which crazily enough worked wonder for him in college because he was stronger and more athletic than everyone else). In the NBA however this tactic has failed spectacularly and he has yet to evolve his game. he completely goes out of his way to seek contact rather than avoid it and then throw up a junk layup attempt after being hit and knocked around. . on a positive note, i will say i think his passing and court vision has improved

[Dannyboy36]

I agree his passing has improved which I think is a result of working on his handle and being able to be confident in that and have his head up and ready to make a play. Kudos to him for putting in that work because it isn't any fun improving your handle.
I've been a smart- semi basher in the past but this is all on the coach. Just tell him to cool it with all the threes. I can't believe this is continuing and it is hurting the team a bit. I'm not sure why this hasn't been addressed by the coaching staff.

[wizfactor94]

the guy cannot even make layups at a good average.

[AKFO]

I am a Marcus supporter but I am very discouraged with his lack of offensive progress this year.
He is a horrible shooter as we all know, but i grow increasingly frustrated at his inability to finish in the paint. He has not evolved past his tendency to just bull his way to the rim and throw up an awful shot after he initiates contact( which crazily enough worked wonder for him in college because he was stronger and more athletic than everyone else). In the NBA however this tactic has failed spectacularly and he has yet to evolve his game. he completely goes out of his way to seek contact rather than avoid it and then throw up a junk layup attempt after being hit and knocked around. . on a positive note, i will say i think his passing and court vision has improved

I think his finishing is getting better, in that he's learning to get his shot off in the paint, something he couldn't do his first year, or even last year. He'll get better at finishing as time goes on, but he's never gonna be great at it. He's learning how to get his shot over bigger guys, but I'm glad he doesn't just think he can out-jump people. He even gets to the line at a decent rate.

[wizfactor94]

I am a Marcus supporter but I am very discouraged with his lack of offensive progress this year.
He is a horrible shooter as we all know, but i grow increasingly frustrated at his inability to finish in the paint. He has not evolved past his tendency to just bull his way to the rim and throw up an awful shot after he initiates contact( which crazily enough worked wonder for him in college because he was stronger and more athletic than everyone else). In the NBA however this tactic has failed spectacularly and he has yet to evolve his game. he completely goes out of his way to seek contact rather than avoid it and then throw up a junk layup attempt after being hit and knocked around. . on a positive note, i will say i think his passing and court vision has improved

I think his finishing is getting better, in that he's learning to get his shot off in the paint, something he couldn't do his first year, or even last year. He'll get better at finishing as time goes on, but he's never gonna be great at it. He's learning how to get his shot over bigger guys, but I'm glad he doesn't just think he can out-jump people. He even gets to the line at a decent rate.

but he still gotta be one of the worst finishing point guards in the league