The next great guard is on his way

[LoneyROY7]

All the talk about next year's draft has surrounded Wiggins/Parker/Randle, and reasonably so, but after seeing his last 3 performances, Marcus Smart deserves his own share of the hype.

Here are two of them for those haven't seen him play yet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxXictCDDqA (career high 39 against Memphis)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mVq1nTahjM (25 against South Florida)

He's averaging 31 ppg over his last three games. Dude can jump out of the gym, he's very explosive and has a quick first step, has good court-vision, shows great defensive potential, and his jumper has looked absolutely wet so far this season. He is very much in the Rose/Westbrook type mold.

This draft is going to be absurd.

With Wiggins, Parker, Randle, Smart, and Exum...you're looking at potential SUPERSTARS, not just all-stars with the first five picks. Crazy.

[qrich]

Smart was just insane out there today against Purdue. Dude straight balled.

[The JKidd Kid]

All the talk about next year's draft has surrounded Wiggins/Parker/Randle, and reasonably so, but after seeing his last 3 performances, Marcus Smart deserves his own share of the hype.

Here are two of them for those haven't seen him play yet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxXictCDDqA (career high 39 against Memphis)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mVq1nTahjM (25 against South Florida)

He's averaging 31 ppg over his last three games. Dude can jump out of the gym, he's very explosive and has a quick first step, has good court-vision, shows great defensive potential, and his jumper has looked absolutely wet so far this season. He is very much in the Rose/Westbrook type mold.

This draft is going to be absurd.

With Wiggins, Parker, Randle, Smart, and Exum...you're looking potential SUPERSTARS, not just all-stars with the first five picks. Crazy.

Also Gordon and Embiid both have the potential to be legitimate stars. I know it's been said a million times but this draft is absolutely stacked.

[JimmyMcAdocious]

His jumper looks much improved this year. Still a very good playmaker and an ELITE defender. He has every intangible you want.

I would take him over any player not named Wiggins or Parker. Still think he's a SG, tho.

[russwest0]

Dante Exum will be here shortly, calm down....

Dude is a 6'6 Tony Parker

[The JKidd Kid]

His jumper looks much improved this year. Still a very good playmaker and an ELITE defender. He has every intangible you want.

I would take him over any player not named Wiggins or Parker. Still think he's a SG, tho.

I agree he's a shooting guard but he's a Dwayne Wade or Kobe Bryant mold where they're the main ball handler and initiate the offense.

[LoneyROY7]

Dante Exum will be here shortly, calm down....

Dude is a 6'6 Tony Parker

I think Exum is going to be a beast as well...I just wish we could have seen him play at the college level.

[Tking714]

Gordon has upss.
http://youtu.be/ShGvY_ZAiKw

Definite star potential as well but he needs polish

[LoneyROY7]

Gordon has upss.
http://youtu.be/ShGvY_ZAiKw

Definite star potential as well but he needs polish

I think there's a chance Gordon could stay an extra year to polish his game a la Blake Griffin...he could put himself in position to be a top 3 pick in 2015.

[Tking714]

I think there's a chance Gordon could stay an extra year to polish his game a la Blake Griffin...he could put himself in position to be a top 3 pick in 2015.

He should. He's stuck between 3 and 4 right now and his handle is sloppy af. He can wait til next year, go top 3, and take the pay raise that comes with it.

He's a lock for top 10 anyway if he chooses to go this year. He's a pure potential pick due to his length, semi-SF skills, and ups.

Smart can do the same thing. The improvement he's had from last year to the few games this year is amazing. He could go #1 next year if he waits.

[Sarcastic]

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=317373


http://s3.amazonaws.com/br-cdn/temp_images/2013/11/20/MarcusSmartBlock.gif

[poido123]

Really like his game.

It would be a big call to say he will turn out the best player in next year's draft, but I'd give him a good chance of being the best player right there with Jabari and Wiggins.

[RoundMoundOfReb]

So many great prospects in this draft...

[moe94]

Don't get the Wade comparisons, honestly. Wade seemed way more explosive. Like not even comparable.

[Aussie Dunker]

For some reason I see some young Baron Davis in him, with his strength, jumping and shooting abilities...

[Tking714]

Don't get the Wade comparisons, honestly. Wade seemed way more explosive. Like not even comparable.

People like to lump every 6'4" gaurd with hops in with Wade. Makes absolutely no sense because there have been so many 6'4" gaurds lol

[moe94]

People like to lump every 6'4" gaurd with hops in with Wade. Makes absolutely no sense because there have been so many 6'4" gaurds lol

Wade isn't even undersized. It's blown way out of proportion. Kobe is taller, but Wade has much more length, strength and athleticism so he plays much bigger than Kobe. It's overrated. Wade is absolutely not undersized.

[JimmyMcAdocious]

Don't get the Wade comparisons, honestly. Wade seemed way more explosive. Like not even comparable.

Really? Very physical, strong, 6-4 SG, high energy, throws body around, intangibles (basketball IQ, hustle, heart, etc), elite defensively, elite slasher, lives at the line, high level playmaking for an off guard, triple-double threat, and very good guard rebounder.

Needs to improve perimeter shot, too small as a NBA 2(?), needs to improve off the ball and decision making as the primary ball handler.

You don't think he's the next Wade? That's cool. Not even comparable? It don't know about that. Sounds pretty close to scouting report for Wade out of Marquette.

I do think Wade is more explosive, tho. Wade has/had an elite first step. Smart gets by his guy relying on strength more than explosion. That's not to say he has no explosion. How that translates? We will see. Not very optimistic of players like Smart from high school to college (at least early in their career), but it translated immediately so I'm curious now. Speaks volume to either his ball handling, underrated explosion, or freakish strength.

I think he's a cross between Wade and Aaron McKie.

[gyu]

The next great guard is already here.

http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Dion+Waiters+2012+NBA+Rookie+Photo+Shoot+5SLYcxPth mPl.jpg

[moe94]

I do think Wade is more explosive, tho. Wade has/had an elite first step. Smart gets by his guy relying on strength more than explosion. That's not to say he has no explosion. How that translates? We will see. Not very optimistic of players like Smart from high school to college (at least early in their career), but it translated immediately so I'm curious now.


You make a convincing argument, no doubt but here is where my problem with the comparison lies. It just seemed like Wade was a notch above his peers athletically as if it was painfully obvious. I'm not seeing that from Smart.

[Done_And_Done]

Nothing but praises for Marcus. Another reason why this draft has received so much prior attention...

[ralph_i_el]

smart has been through some stuff in his life too. Matured him fast.

I think the Smart-Wade comparison holds water though. Smart has a very long wingspan for his height. Obviously you can't expect any college player to come into the nba and drop 30ppg, but there are definitely stylistic similarities.

[Fresh Kid]

He have skills, but only time will tell if he's going to be that next great guard. We have to remember that the NBA is a different animal and there's tons of point guards out there already out there that's going to get better and better. Its possible but it's going to be very hard.