Marcus Smart - 2022 DPOY - 2023 NBA Hustle Award Winner

[Mr_Mojo_Risin]

We all wanted Smart gone. We all didn't know his real intrinsic value. That can be forgiven. BUT....

I bet the most vociferous wanting him gone also wanted to trade Brown. And that should'nt be forgiven. It's funny how time works I guess. I'm older and have less years but have more patience then younger fans who want **** to happen quick, fast, now. They wanted Ainge gone, Irving brought in, Harden brought in. Always looking to thrash and desperately change things. I've always taken the long patient view. That impatient way got us Pitino who set us back years with his quick fix thrashing and changing and lack of patience.

I said years ago we needed patience with the young draft picks to gel and mature and then see. But too many wanted things quicker.

I was right. Me and Ainge. Who I've noticed gets no mention on this board. But all of these are Ainge's kids. Except White, who coincidentally seems a bit slow so far in these playoffs. He perhaps hasn't adjusted to playoff ball and perhaps need more time. But he's looking kind of lost right now. Slow.

But I'm sure Ainge is looking on at this team with some small amount of pride right now.

****The younger fans also forget very quickly. Ainge got us the Big 3 that won a championship and but for some bad luck should've perhaps gotten two more rings when they were all together. Nobody knew they would fit and mesh so well. I frankly was surprised that Allen was a much more complete player than I had thought. Much more complete than just a spot up 3pt master.

Don’t put words in our mouths. Sure plenty wanted him gone but PLENTY loved him and wanted him to stay.

[Bostondave]

Who? Smart or Ainge? The times I checked in here I think getting rid of both was pretty universal. And I'm saying wanting to get rid of Smart was.....smart at the time. He was **** up. This new Smart is......smarter and playing good ball now and seems to have accepted his best role and is helping the team tremendously.

But in general I'm talking about an impatient mindset of too many fans that want things fast, quick, easy, cheap. I think there was an ainge appreciation thread around that I can go back and read and see those that wanted Ainge gone. Ainge was a great GM and as we can see now a tremendous eye for young talent. Who btw saved us from the heartache of Fultz.

[sam_I_am]

Who? Smart or Ainge? The times I checked in here I think getting rid of both was pretty universal. And I'm saying wanting to get rid of Smart was.....smart at the time. He was **** up. This new Smart is......smarter and playing good ball now and seems to have accepted his best role and is helping the team tremendously.

But in general I'm talking about an impatient mindset of too many fans that want things fast, quick, easy, cheap. I think there was an ainge appreciation thread around that I can go back and read and see those that wanted Ainge gone. Ainge was a great GM and as we can see now a tremendous eye for young talent. Who btw saved us from the heartache of Fultz.

It turns out Smart wasn’t f’d up, it was the system he was asked to play was a poorer fit. Put him in the right system at the right position for him and he thrives. Makes sense of the rumor that GSW wanted to trade for him.

That said, he is what he is and the Celtics valued him properly. For his talent level, he is a huge asset due to the intangibles, the leadership and intelligence he brings. He always displayed the heart of a champion and many of the qualities that made DJ such a great Celtic.

[Bad-Thoma]

We were all puzzled, at least I certainly was, about why the people in charge seemed to love him so much. Even when he was **** up they still wanted to sign him, keep him around. It appears we weren't privy to a lot of what he was doing, is doing, that helps the team. WHat he did to hurt the team was on clear display. But it appears there was a bit more that we didn't see that they did which has resulted now in a touch of magic and the DPOY.

This team has a touch of magic. I've never seen anything like it.

We "all" weren't puzzled because plenty of us recognized he wasn't ****. The only real thing he did to "hurt" the team was shoot at a low percentage but most of the shots he took were shots he was supposed to take. Really, stop using "we" to describe how you feel, it's inaccurate.

I love how most of the Smart haters have come around this season and finally realized how valuable he is but still can't see how wrong they were about him. "What he did to hurt the team was on clear display" but "there was more we didn't see". Plenty of us saw it and welcome aboard the Smart train but it wasn't some mystery as to why coaches valued him to a good portion of the board.

[sam_I_am]

Herb Jones is a helluva defender. He’s a game changer defensively and if he ever gets a decent 3 point shot, watch out.

[Bad-Thoma]

Herb Jones is a helluva defender. He’s a game changer defensively and if he ever gets a decent 3 point shot, watch out.

He was a good story this season.

[OBisHalJordan]

We were all puzzled, at least I certainly was, about why the people in charge seemed to love him so much. Even when he was **** up they still wanted to sign him, keep him around. It appears we weren't privy to a lot of what he was doing, is doing, that helps the team. WHat he did to hurt the team was on clear display. But it appears there was a bit more that we didn't see that they did which has resulted now in a touch of magic and the DPOY.

This team has a touch of magic. I've never seen anything like it.

We "all" weren't puzzled because plenty of us recognized he wasn't ****. The only real thing he did to "hurt" the team was shoot at a low percentage but most of the shots he took were shots he was supposed to take. Really, stop using "we" to describe how you feel, it's inaccurate.

I love how most of the Smart haters have come around this season and finally realized how valuable he is but still can't see how wrong they were about him. "What he did to hurt the team was on clear display" but "there was more we didn't see". Plenty of us saw it and welcome aboard the Smart train but it wasn't some mystery as to why coaches valued him to a good portion of the board.

Disagree that most of the shots Smart took were shots that he was supposed to take. Dude had horrendous shot selection a lot of times. There were reports last year that Stevens couldn't control Smart and it was causing issues with the team. There's some revisionist history going on RN. A lot of people wanted Smart gone for good reason. It took Udoka to come in and establish clearer roles and accountability to get the best of out of Smart.

[Bad-Thoma]

We were all puzzled, at least I certainly was, about why the people in charge seemed to love him so much. Even when he was **** up they still wanted to sign him, keep him around. It appears we weren't privy to a lot of what he was doing, is doing, that helps the team. WHat he did to hurt the team was on clear display. But it appears there was a bit more that we didn't see that they did which has resulted now in a touch of magic and the DPOY.

This team has a touch of magic. I've never seen anything like it.

We "all" weren't puzzled because plenty of us recognized he wasn't ****. The only real thing he did to "hurt" the team was shoot at a low percentage but most of the shots he took were shots he was supposed to take. Really, stop using "we" to describe how you feel, it's inaccurate.

I love how most of the Smart haters have come around this season and finally realized how valuable he is but still can't see how wrong they were about him. "What he did to hurt the team was on clear display" but "there was more we didn't see". Plenty of us saw it and welcome aboard the Smart train but it wasn't some mystery as to why coaches valued him to a good portion of the board.

Disagree that most of the shots Smart took were shots that he was supposed to take. Dude had horrendous shot selection a lot of times. There were reports last year that Stevens couldn't control Smart and it was causing issues with the team. There's some revisionist history going on RN. A lot of people wanted Smart gone for good reason. It took Udoka to come in and establish clearer roles and accountability to get the best of out of Smart.

Lol, no. Smart has always been a very low usage guy (look up his career usage ranks) which is a direct contradiction to the people who accused him of being both a chucker and a boneheaded passer. Usage is the percentage of offensive plays that ends in a player either turning the ball over or taking a shot. I'm not saying he's never taken a bad shot, anytime he took a 3 early in the shot clock (especially without giving it up and getting it back first) it was a bad shot and he definitely took some of those in the past but it was a low percentage of the time. It had to be a low percentage because all of his shots added together were a low percentage of the time (see usage). Smart was a kicking boy for fans that only saw as deep as his glaring flaw, shooting percentage, and didn't see all the other things he did on the floor. People certainly didn't want him gone "for a good reason", that's a **** joke. His coaches have obviously loved him, he's been on the floor around 30 minutes a game his whole career and most of the that time was off the bench. I don't care about some rumor that Stevens couldn't control Smart, I mean show me some sauces Steven A Myth or gtfo with that.

[OBisHalJordan]

We "all" weren't puzzled because plenty of us recognized he wasn't ****. The only real thing he did to "hurt" the team was shoot at a low percentage but most of the shots he took were shots he was supposed to take. Really, stop using "we" to describe how you feel, it's inaccurate.

I love how most of the Smart haters have come around this season and finally realized how valuable he is but still can't see how wrong they were about him. "What he did to hurt the team was on clear display" but "there was more we didn't see". Plenty of us saw it and welcome aboard the Smart train but it wasn't some mystery as to why coaches valued him to a good portion of the board.

Disagree that most of the shots Smart took were shots that he was supposed to take. Dude had horrendous shot selection a lot of times. There were reports last year that Stevens couldn't control Smart and it was causing issues with the team. There's some revisionist history going on RN. A lot of people wanted Smart gone for good reason. It took Udoka to come in and establish clearer roles and accountability to get the best of out of Smart.

Lol, no. Smart has always been a very low usage guy (look up his career usage ranks) which is a direct contradiction to the people who accused him of being both a chucker and a boneheaded passer. Usage is the percentage of offensive plays that ends in a player either turning the ball over or taking a shot. I'm not saying he's never taken a bad shot, anytime he took a 3 early in the shot clock (especially without giving it up and getting it back first) it was a bad shot and he definitely took some of those in the past but it was a low percentage of the time. It had to be a low percentage because all of his shots added together were a low percentage of the time (see usage). Smart was a kicking boy for fans that only saw as deep as his glaring flaw, shooting percentage, and didn't see all the other things he did on the floor. People certainly didn't want him gone "for a good reason", that's a **** joke. His coaches have obviously loved him, he's been on the floor around 30 minutes a game his whole career and most of the that time was off the bench. I don't care about some rumor that Stevens couldn't control Smart, I mean show me some sauces Steven A Myth or gtfo with that.

At season’s end, multiple sources close to the players said several members of the locker room were welcoming a coaching change, noting Stevens did not appear to hold key players accountable, with complaints he was favoring Smart over others

https://theathletic.com/2660873/2021/06/19/an-inside-look-at-the-factors-that-led-to-the-inevitable-break-up-between-kemba-walker-and-the-celtics/

[OBisHalJordan]

I mean its great that Smart is a role that brings out his best and the team is doing better but let's not rewrite history. Smart was a chemistry problem on this team because Stevens could handle him. See also this: https://hoopshype.com/rumor/marcus-smart-and-jaylen-brown-had-to-be-separated-by-teammates/

[Smart2Nesmith43]

Remember when Chris Paul was supposed to this super demanding teammate that was impossible to live with ? Funny how now that he's no longer surrounded by divas like DeAndre Jordan and James Harden but by serious, hard working guys he's become recognized as this amazing leader.

Marcus Smart is the same way. As a professionnal basketball player if you can't handle being on the same team as a Paul or a Smart (or a Draymond), it's not a Smart problem it's a you problem and quite frankly you can go lose somewhere else.

[Bad-Thoma]

Disagree that most of the shots Smart took were shots that he was supposed to take. Dude had horrendous shot selection a lot of times. There were reports last year that Stevens couldn't control Smart and it was causing issues with the team. There's some revisionist history going on RN. A lot of people wanted Smart gone for good reason. It took Udoka to come in and establish clearer roles and accountability to get the best of out of Smart.

Lol, no. Smart has always been a very low usage guy (look up his career usage ranks) which is a direct contradiction to the people who accused him of being both a chucker and a boneheaded passer. Usage is the percentage of offensive plays that ends in a player either turning the ball over or taking a shot. I'm not saying he's never taken a bad shot, anytime he took a 3 early in the shot clock (especially without giving it up and getting it back first) it was a bad shot and he definitely took some of those in the past but it was a low percentage of the time. It had to be a low percentage because all of his shots added together were a low percentage of the time (see usage). Smart was a kicking boy for fans that only saw as deep as his glaring flaw, shooting percentage, and didn't see all the other things he did on the floor. People certainly didn't want him gone "for a good reason", that's a **** joke. His coaches have obviously loved him, he's been on the floor around 30 minutes a game his whole career and most of the that time was off the bench. I don't care about some rumor that Stevens couldn't control Smart, I mean show me some sauces Steven A Myth or gtfo with that.

At season’s end, multiple sources close to the players said several members of the locker room were welcoming a coaching change, noting Stevens did not appear to hold key players accountable, with complaints he was favoring Smart over others

https://theathletic.com/2660873/2021/06/19/an-inside-look-at-the-factors-that-led-to-the-inevitable-break-up-between-kemba-walker-and-the-celtics/

Thanks for responding with the link but it's behind a paywall for me. If it lead to the "inevitable break up between kemba and the C's" I don't know know why anyone is complaining about it . Either way Smart has been a part of some great chemistry teams (overachieving IT celtics, this years obvious team), the only really bad chemistry team he was on had Kyrie on it. I just don't buy that he is any sort of issue.

[sam_I_am]

Stevens was so upset with Smart that he favored him over others to show his displeasure? Is that really what we’re talking about after a sweep?

[Bostondave]

Yeah, sure ok. Such ringing endorsements of Smart were few and far between when he was hoisting up 3's and apparently taking it upon himself to be the 3rd, or perhaps even 2nd, scoring option. He's always been a solid defender that can't be denied. But he was **** up. He wasn't playing the PG role, or the best practices of a PG. Which is to set up the floor and get other people involved and let the offense if it does come to you. Not looking to sometimes be the first option on offense. He was a loose cannon on the floor and in the locker room. FFS it wasn't that goddamn long ago. How can people revise so damn quickly? Reports of him going beserk in the locker room and shoving, screaming and almost coming to blows?

This Smart is clearly different from that one. And it wasn't "the system". It was him. Or at least a bit of both to be most generous. This Smart is the floor general on defense AND offense, which is rare and something quite wonderous out of a PG. He's letting the offense come to him now and making the team much better.

But such quick revisionism is quite startling.

[ParticleMan]

Yeah, sure ok. Such ringing endorsements of Smart were few and far between when he was hoisting up 3's and apparently taking it upon himself to be the 3rd, or perhaps even 2nd, scoring option. He's always been a solid defender that can't be denied. But he was **** up. He wasn't playing the PG role, or the best practices of a PG. Which is to set up the floor and get other people involved and let the offense if it does come to you. Not looking to sometimes be the first option on offense. He was a loose cannon on the floor and in the locker room. FFS it wasn't that goddamn long ago. How can people revise so damn quickly? Reports of him going beserk in the locker room and shoving, screaming and almost coming to blows?

This Smart is clearly different from that one. And it wasn't "the system". It was him. Or at least a bit of both to be most generous. This Smart is the floor general on defense AND offense, which is rare and something quite wonderous out of a PG. He's letting the offense come to him now and making the team much better.

But such quick revisionism is quite startling.

100%.

Smart deserved the criticism he got. I credit Ime for laying down in no uncertain terms how Smart had to play. But mostly I credit Smart for buying in, something he never seemed to do with Brad. Maybe Brad+Ime telling him he would be the full-time PG was the catalyst, I don't know. But it's totally true that the way Smart is playing now is completely different to how he played before, at least with any consistency.

Players grow and mature. The same thing happened with Paul Pierce and Doc. It happens a lot. This is why guys' prime is usually like 27-32. It's not like they are better athletes at 27 than 21, but they understand what they need to do to win.

[sam_I_am]

Yeah, sure ok. Such ringing endorsements of Smart were few and far between when he was hoisting up 3's and apparently taking it upon himself to be the 3rd, or perhaps even 2nd, scoring option. He's always been a solid defender that can't be denied. But he was **** up. He wasn't playing the PG role, or the best practices of a PG. Which is to set up the floor and get other people involved and let the offense if it does come to you. Not looking to sometimes be the first option on offense. He was a loose cannon on the floor and in the locker room. FFS it wasn't that goddamn long ago. How can people revise so damn quickly? Reports of him going beserk in the locker room and shoving, screaming and almost coming to blows?

This Smart is clearly different from that one. And it wasn't "the system". It was him. Or at least a bit of both to be most generous. This Smart is the floor general on defense AND offense, which is rare and something quite wonderous out of a PG. He's letting the offense come to him now and making the team much better.

But such quick revisionism is quite startling.

The only revisionism is that the haters are trying so hard to spin that their terrible takes were justified. They were not. Just own it. There were plenty of people here like you who dumped on Smart for years but there were plenty of staunch supporters who never wavered. Brad Stevens was one who insisted Smart’s shooting mechanics were solid as a rookie and encouraged him to keep shooting.

[zoyathedestroya]

Read on Twitter

This gives me all the feels. I have a sneaking suspicion there's no one on the team who loves Smart more than Timelord. The way Tatum loves Rob.

[Fencer reregistered]

Read on Twitter

This gives me all the feels. I have a sneaking suspicion there's no one on the team who loves Smart more than Timelord. The way Tatum loves Rob.

Just a guess, but perhaps Smart had a lot to do with teaching Rob how to play (and even direct) defense.

[MagicBagley18]

Who? Smart or Ainge? The times I checked in here I think getting rid of both was pretty universal. And I'm saying wanting to get rid of Smart was.....smart at the time. He was **** up. This new Smart is......smarter and playing good ball now and seems to have accepted his best role and is helping the team tremendously.

But in general I'm talking about an impatient mindset of too many fans that want things fast, quick, easy, cheap. I think there was an ainge appreciation thread around that I can go back and read and see those that wanted Ainge gone. Ainge was a great GM and as we can see now a tremendous eye for young talent. Who btw saved us from the heartache of Fultz.

I’m one of those younger fans....not that young but younger. I wanted harden. Wanted to trade brown and still would in certain deals. I never once wanted ainge gone or smart traded.

[Tyakack]

Who? Smart or Ainge? The times I checked in here I think getting rid of both was pretty universal. And I'm saying wanting to get rid of Smart was.....smart at the time. He was **** up. This new Smart is......smarter and playing good ball now and seems to have accepted his best role and is helping the team tremendously.

But in general I'm talking about an impatient mindset of too many fans that want things fast, quick, easy, cheap. I think there was an ainge appreciation thread around that I can go back and read and see those that wanted Ainge gone. Ainge was a great GM and as we can see now a tremendous eye for young talent. Who btw saved us from the heartache of Fultz.

I’m one of those younger fans....not that young but younger. I wanted harden. Wanted to trade brown and still would in certain deals. I never once wanted ainge gone or smart traded.

I think certain fans take the fact that you would be willing to trade certain players as you wanting them gone. I never got that. I've never wanted smart or brown gone... I just never looked at them as untouchable. The only guy that is untouchable is tatum IMO. Anybody else can get traded in the right deal. That doesn't mean I want any of them gone.