The Boston Celtics did not trade a major asset for their in-season turn around, which was the most surprising aspect. Marcus Smart was given direction and purpose by being allowed to run point, even though the acquisition of Derrick White helped with guard depth.
I defended the two young Celtic wings because I believed they would be better served if they were allowed to make their own decisions, and he was outspoken about his displeasure with standing in the corner and waiting for the ball to be thrown to him.
The highlight of these young playoffs thus far has been Celtics-Nets Game 1 on Sunday. When the ball found its way into Smart's mitt with 3 seconds to go and Boston down a point, a moment flashed in the minds of the onlookers. Marcus Smart is going to decide the game and this crucial contest is going to come down to whether he makes a 3 or not. The player who made his reputation by hoisting ill- timed and poorly executed shots chose to pump fake and play-Make instead.
Being able to maintain clarity is an attribute that can be taught or developed. Smart had to keep his head up and be aware of the clock because he needed to find a cutting Tatum. He still needed to deliver a good enough pass to allow the recipient to catch, spin, and lay the ball in the hoop.
It was one of those moments that reminded fans of players like Reggie Miller and Ray Allen, when they would look for the 3-point line during chaotic comebacks. We don't associate a guy like Smart who is so focused on the defensive side of the ball with being a basketball player.
I'm not saying he doesn't play hard, but Smart's motor is what Curry and the rest of the guys who have caught damage from one of his dives or lunges attest to. It takes more than just trying really hard to successfully play passing lanes, diffuse dribbles, and disrupt offenses.
Efforts are involved, but so is a vast knowledge of NBA offenses and progressions, being in the right place at the right time. Listen to pundits rave about Draymond Green. Smart isn't thought of in the same way because Brad Stevens only asked him to shoot 3s when he was standing in the corner. Imagine if the Warriors made Green a spot-up shooter instead of a point center.
I don't care who you are, you're going to chuck up some bad shots when you're only tasked with spreading the floor. I thought Smart was a guy who wanted to get in on the hero ball act. That is not what he wanted. He wanted to make a difference in the game, so he forced the few opportunities that came his way.
Ime Udoka's trust in Smart to handle the ball and facilitate helped unlocked the Celtics' previously semi-tapped potential. The position he played in high school and college, the one that got him drafted sixth overall, was his position all along.
He is attempting almost two less 3s per game than last year, and is dishing out a career-high 5.9 assists per contest. From a playmaking standpoint, he's not Steve Nash or even Draymond, but he can create his own shots. The team needed a way to get him to buy into his role because his defense is important, and maybe just letting him bring the ball up the court flipped a switch, like I have to look for other guys rather than look for my own shot.
He values the traditional duties of a point guard, which is why he called out Brown and Tatum for hogging the ball. If Robert Williams hadn't gotten hurt, Boston would have found themselves heading into the playoffs.
The Celtics will play the team that knocked them out in the first round a year ago. Boston's regular-season success didn't go unrecognized, and surely neither will its playoff run if it continues.
Your contributions are harder to ignore when your squad is good. The eighth year player out of Oklahoma State has been one of the best defensive guards since he came into the NBA, but now he is a point guard and the Defensive Player of the Year. He is the first guard to win that award since Gary Payton did it.
Anyone who has watched Smart frustrate his opponents for nearly a decade knows that he plays winning, All-NBA defense. They didn't know if he was a winner. They do now.
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