Behind those guys, Boston has used a pair of two-way contracts on young guards in Davison and Scrubb. That suggests he’s satisfied with a backcourt of White, Brogdon and Pritchard. ![]() Power Forward: Al Horford, Oshae BrissettĬenter: Kristaps Porziņģis, Robert Williams, Luke Kornet (non-guaranteed)Īfter trading Smart for Porziņģis, Stevens made it clear the Celtics wanted to rebalance the roster by moving a guard for a big man. Small forward: Jayson Tatum, Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh ![]() Shooting guard: Jaylen Brown, Dalano Banton (partial guarantee) Davison (two-way), Jay Scrubb (two-way), D.J. Point guard: Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, Payton Pritchard, J.D. Here’s a look at the current Boston depth chart: Beyond the regular roster players, Stevens has one more two-way contract opening to fill behind J.D. The Celtics also seem to be high on Banton, who they targeted early in free agency, but only $200,000 of his contract is guaranteed. Though Kornet’s contract is non-guaranteed, he was dependable last season when given the opportunity and is an extremely well-liked guy in the locker room. Assists have fallen to 5.2 per game but Smart is knocking down 36.4 percent from three and 46.6 percent from the field.As the roster currently stands, they have at least two spots available though they could clear more space by waiving either Luke Kornet or Dalano Banton. Smart’s 11.5 points per game were his lowest since ’18-19 but that number has jumped to 16.6 in the playoffs. The result was a career-best 6.3 assists per game in ’22-23. This is part of trend where Smart has evolved to a pass-first guard, and defers to the true scorers on the Celtics. Smart shot 41.5 percent from the field this past regular season, third-best average of his career. The last two seasons, field goal percentage wasn’t too far off the mark of ’18-19 and Smart attempted nearly 1.5 less shots per game. Shooting wise, Smart’s best season was back in 2018-19 and, at this point, it can be expected he’s never going to lock down outrageous stats. While there can be frustration, a fair amount of his three-point attempts are good looks that just don’t fall. But in recent seasons, there has been less of the wild shots fans grew accustomed to seeing from Smart. Smart has never been the greatest shooter, even on his best days. For Smart, that meant settling into a role of true point guard. The rise of Tatum and Brown as All-NBA players has seen Smart adjust to what needs to be done on offense. Overall, the game was the epitome of what Smart has transformed into on the offensive end in recent seasons. He was 8-15 from the field and added seven rebounds. Smart finished with a team-high 22 points and added 7 assists (against 3 turnovers). While Brown picked his spots (17 pts) and Tatum (19 points) showed up late, Brogdon (16 points) and Smart kept this game afloat. Smart, combined with a locked in Malcolm Brogdon, helped carry the offense as Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum struggled with their shots (combined 11-34). Even as the love/hate with Smart was present, thanks to an errant pass or two, it almost felt like Game 6 was Smart’s to win or lose. Shots were falling - always a plus - and Smart’s effort on defense led to fast break points. The game settled down but Smart was a consistent, hustling presence throughout. Celtics Insider: Balanced effort shining bright in playoff wins. This move, and Smart leading charge, had Boston responding with the type of energy and urgency desired every game from this team in racing to a 15-3 lead. Head coach Joe Mazzulla moving Robert Williams III back into the starting lineup was also a defensive move that paid off. Not only did Smart back up his statements from the get-go, he was a true leader in helping the Celtics play-on for another day. ![]() You gotta be willing to risk it all for these games…” Heading into Game 6, Smart said, “…You gotta go. Notably, the most recent a Game 6 performance against the Philadelphia 76ers that saved the Celtics 2022-23 season. Through it all, Smart is a team leader who has endeared himself to teammates and worthy of praise. Other nights, his play on offense can be frustrating to watch, especially with three-point shooting reminiscent of a non-shooter jacking up threes in a rec league. Smart goes through stretches of delivering on efficient performances on offense, providing exactly what the Celtics need. For much of his nine-year career with the Boston Celtics, point guard Marcus Smart has been a polarizing player among fans.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |