Marcus Smart more valuable than you think to Celtics

http://www.espn.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4725219/marcus-smart-is-more-valuable-than-you-think



Marcus Smart more valuable than you think to Celtics




Chris Forsberg
ESPN Staff Writer



If you're looking for a Cliff's Notes version to explain why Marcus Smart is so valuable to the Boston Celtics, queue up the final 140 seconds of Thursday's come-from-behind victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Sure, Smart had an excellent night based on box score alone -- 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting, six rebounds, five assists, five steals, plus-10 in plus/minus over 37:30 -- and yet that still doesn't quite highlight all that Smart did to help the shorthanded Celtics rally from a 17-point deficit on national TV on the second night of a back-to-back.

Start at 2:20 remaining in the fourth quarter, after rookie Jaylen Brown missed a layup with Boston clinging to a two-point lead. Portland's Al-Farouq Aminu snagged the rebound, got a little screen to accelerate away from Smart, and broke out in transition. Smart -- who played nearly 20 second-half minutes -- never stopped racing from behind and, with one big left-handed swipe, knocked the ball from Aminu right before he could reach the paint.

A short time later, Al Horford got blocked at the rim and Smart, undeterred by the four white Trail Blazers jerseys clogging the paint, raced in, outleaped everyone for the ball, and went up with a putback layup.

On the ensuing defensive possession, Smart drifted from the weak side to protect the rim when he noticed Damian Lillard accelerating after coming off a pick-and-roll on the opposite side of the floor. After Lillard raced between Brown and Horford, Smart planted his feet outside the charge circle and absorbed a knee to the chest while drawing the offensive foul that essentially sealed Boston's victory.

In CelticsLand, it's become common to refer to Smart's "winning plays." He doesn't produce many loud stat lines like the one he put up Thursday night, but he always influences Boston in a positive way when he's on the floor.


Marcus Smart had 18 points, six rebounds, five assists and plenty of plays you don't see in the box score on Thursday night's Celtics victory at Portland. Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images


Smart has drawn 34 offensive fouls this season, including 11 charges (second-most on the team behind Kelly Olynyk). The 6-foot-4 guard is a magnet for contact and gives up his body more than any player on Boston's roster. Smart's net rating of plus-5.1 points per 100 possessions is third-best on the team among rotation players, trailing only Jae Crowder (for whom Smart drew the spot start on Thursday) and Amir Johnson. Boston's net rating drops to minus-0.1 when Smart is on the floor, the only player beyond Crowder (minus-3.9) with a negative off-court rating.

The NBA recently added "hustle stats" to its tracking database. Thumb through and you'll see Smart's name everywhere. He's the Celtics' leader in total loose balls recovered (48) and deflections (143). He leads Boston in contested 3-point shots (162) and, among the team's guards, he is tops in contested shots overall (319).

Smart has obvious flaws that are constantly referenced when his value is discussed nationally. He's never going to be a particularly efficient shooter -- Synergy ranks him in the 13th percentile among all NBA players as he averages just 0.793 points per play -- though part of that is he simply doesn't care about his shooting percentages and will happily heave up halfcourt shots in the closing second of quarters when others are eager to defer. Smart is quietly shooting near 50 percent on corner 3-pointers this season and he's embraced taking advantage of smaller guards when post-up opportunities present themselves. Stevens has noted he's still learning where to find his best shots.

More often, though, including in Thursday's game, Smart is the one giving up size while playing a forward position. He's embraced the challenge of guarding players who are as much as a foot taller than him. He took turns on the Knicks' Kristaps Porzingis in recent matchups.

Smart's base stat line won't turn heads -- 10.1 points, 4.6 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals over 30.8 minutes per game -- but he's made tremendous strides as a point guard and has given the Celtics exactly the ball-handling bench-presence they so desperately needed when Evan Turner cashed in with the Blazers last summer.

During Wednesday's loss in Sacramento, Smart had a dazzling spinning-into-the-paint, behind-the-head, no-look feed to Olynyk for a layup that showcased his court vision. Alas, much of Smart's impact won't be found in highlight packages.

Boston players fawned over Smart's play after Thursday's victory in Portland. Isaiah Thomas noted how championship teams need players like Smart. Brown gushed how Smart does wonders for this team and changes the game when he's on the court. Stevens, always measured with his praise of younger players, spoke volumes when he said simply, "Marcus was terrific."

ESPN is running a series in which media members ranked the top 50 players in the league under the age of 25. Smart landed at No. 33 and, even with a lot of good young talent in the NBA, you'd be hard-pressed to identify even 20 players in front of him who are having a similar impact, particularly on playoff-bound teams.

Smart, the No. 6 pick in 2014, still has plenty of room to grow, but the Celtics are committed to bringing him along at their own pace. Boston's guard depth often has allowed Stevens to keep Smart in his energizer bench role despite injuries this season. That also helps manage Smart's minutes because of how hard he plays during his floor time.

You can make the case that Smart has been maybe the fourth-most important player on Boston's roster this season, at least while Avery Bradley recovers from injury. Once per game, Smart will do something that makes you shake your head and marvel. It probably won't show up in the box score or the highlights, but Smart simply has an impact on winning.



bob
MY NOTE:  Despite his game last night Marcus Smart is a HORRIBLE shooter.  Having said that, he is a one-man wrecking ball on defense and has become an acceptable back up point guard/floor general.  At least once every couple of games you will see him RIP balls out of player's hands.  His ferocity, in a Celtic, might be comparable to KG's or Dave Cowens', and boy, is that ever a mouthful and a compliment.  If only he could shoot...


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"Championship teams need players like Smart." Totally agree, he may not be a starter on a championship team but he can contribute quite a bit, obviously including the intangibles, and his poor shooting is outweighed by what else he brings.

Don't know the stats but is he shooting a little bit less this year?

Two very similar Marcus Smart threads in the same day. Nice to see our forum members are thinking alike on this guy.

And, his shooting will improve just as has the rest of his game.

Alot of those plays mentioned in the article I also mentioned on the game on thread, also as we were building our lead in the 4th Smarts defense on Lillard was suffocating, the announcers were aware of all this to, as his name was brought up time and again as he made alot of plays and bullyboy plays.