ESPN NBA ranking: Boston Celtics' Marcus Smart eight spots ahead of Kobe Bryant

http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2015/10/espn_nba_ranking_boston_celtic.html#incart_story_package



ESPN NBA ranking: Boston Celtics' Marcus Smart eight spots ahead of Kobe Bryant



Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder (99) runs to celebrate with guard Marcus Smart, foreground, who falls on the court after scoring a basket against the Memphis Grizzlies in the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game in Boston, Wednesday, March 11, 2015. The Celtics won 95-92. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Jay King | mjking@masslive.com By Jay King | mjking@masslive.com

on October 09, 2015 at 1:05 PM, updated October 09, 2015 at 1:06 PM





In ESPN's NBA rank, Kobe Bryant slips lower and lower every year, prompting all types of outrage from screaming heads who fail to recognize that, at 37, he cannot be trusted to stay healthy and counts as an inefficient chucker when he does.

As Bryant tumbles down the ranking of NBA players, a generation of youngsters rises. One of the climbers this year was Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, who was tabbed No. 85 -- eight spots ahead of Bryant.

NBA on ESPNVerified account
‏@ESPNNBA
Up 72 spots from last season, @smart_MS3 is No. 85 in this year's #NBArank.



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Will Smart average as many points as Bryant this season? Almost definitely not, but he could have a bigger impact on winning thanks to strong defense and a willingness not to fire a heap of contested shots per game.

Smart was slotted between Taj Gibson (84) and Monta Ellis (86). The only Celtics player given more respect from the panel was Isaiah Thomas, but his spot has not yet been revealed. ESPN will continue to unveil the rest of its rankings in installments.


bob
MY NOTE:  First of all, let me say that for Kobe Bryant to even be in the top 100 at 37 years of age and clearly struggling, is quite a compliment.  It's like being afraid of a rattlesnake even after its dead.  It's respect, not disrespect.  Moving on, Smart is in between Gibson and Ellis?  If legit, that's pretty good for a sophomore player. Then again, this is coming from the Especially Sad and Pathetic Network, so who knows?


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