I fell off the Marcus Smart bandwagon

[D-FENS]

I can't stand watching this guy play anymore, he's a horrible player, jacking up 3's all over the place. He reminds me so much of Antoine Walker, I'd love to see Boston move him.

What do you all think about him?

FYI, 66% of his field goal attempts are 3's, and he hits them at a 35% clip.
For a big bull of a point guard, he seems to avoid going to the hole, or can't get to the hole against smaller, faster point guards

[MP.Trey]

He takes so many bad shots but that can be coached/taught to an extent. What you can't teach are his defensive instincts, and his relentlessness and passion. That alone will keep him in the league regardless of if he keeps jacking so many dumb shots or not. Worst case scenario, he's a really poor man's Westbrook. Best case, Westbrook with a lot better D.

[D-FENS]

He takes so many bad shots but that can be coached/taught to an extent. What you can't teach are his defensive instincts, and his relentlessness and passion. That alone will keep him in the league regardless of if he keeps jacking so many dumb shots or not. Worst case scenario, he's a really poor man's Westbrook. Best case, Westbrook with a lot better D.

Westbrook? You ever watched Marcus Smart???

[Le Shaqtus]

I feel smart that I never thought he was gonna be good in the first place.

[Hittin_Shots]

Well 35% 3pt is more score than 50% 2 point

[MP.Trey]

Westbrook? You ever watched Marcus Smart???
Yeah 3 or 4 times this year and a bit in college. They both tend to make bad decisions but are relentlessly energetic, athletic and passionate. A SG in a PG's body with an ability to playmake but they don't use it as much as you wanna see at most times. :confusedshrug:

[MMM]

The first thing I noticed with him is his lack of explosion which makes him a limited finisher in the league. He also lacks guards skills necessary to to be a PG in the association. His best fit is as a a energy guy/6th man.

As for his 3 point shooting I hope he becomes better at shooting them in the flow of the game but 35% from 3 isn't that terrible. I feel like I can live with a guard making it at that clip considering he was projected to be a non shooter.

[Basketbolero]

The first thing I noticed with him is his lack of explosion which makes him a limited finisher in the league. He also lacks guards skills necessary to to be a PG in the association. His best fit is as a a energy guy/6th man.

As for his 3 point shooting I hope he becomes better at shooting them in the flow of the game but 35% from 3 isn't that terrible. I feel like I can live with a guard making it at that clip considering he was projected to be a non shooter.

Exactly, he can't get by his defender. He will have a long career if he really develops his PG skills, which I can see him doing, but he doesn't have a high ceiling.

[chocolatethunder]

I can't stand watching this guy play anymore, he's a horrible player, jacking up 3's all over the place. He reminds me so much of Antoine Walker, I'd love to see Boston move him.

What do you all think about him?

FYI, 66% of his field goal attempts are 3's, and he hits them at a 35% clip.
For a big bull of a point guard, he seems to avoid going to the hole, or can't get to the hole against smaller, faster point guards
This is what I said about him before the draft. He's not a PG. He's awful with the ball. He can score a little but he can't shoot. He's really strong and can defend well and that will keep him in the league but if you're looking for Rondo's replacement, he's not the guy. You have to remember he was an SG until he got to college and then switched to PG and then stayed in college another year to "learn" the PG position better but his numbers didn't really improve. Great defender, not a guy you want running your team.

[chocolatethunder]

He takes so many bad shots but that can be coached/taught to an extent. What you can't teach are his defensive instincts, and his relentlessness and passion. That alone will keep him in the league regardless of if he keeps jacking so many dumb shots or not. Worst case scenario, he's a really poor man's Westbrook. Best case, Westbrook with a lot better D.
Westbrook? Smart is so slow compared to Westbrook it's retarded. Smart is a big bully and Westbrook is fast and athletic. No comparison there.

[chocolatethunder]

Exactly, he can't get by his defender. He will have a long career if he really develops his PG skills, which I can see him doing, but he doesn't have a high ceiling.
It always strikes me as funny when people say this because people say it all the time as if it's something that's so easy and yet so few actually accomplish it.

[MP.Trey]

Westbrook? Smart is so slow compared to Westbrook it's retarded. Smart is a big bully and Westbrook is fast and athletic. No comparison there.
Fine. I'll concede that may be a bad comparison but I do see similarities. Westbrook can be a bully when he gets smaller players on him and Smart can be athletic as well, their combine numbers are pretty similar. Smart obviosuly doesn't have the quickness or the top speed of Westbrook, nor the finishing ability but they both struggle with shot selection and both give 110% every night.

[Real Men Wear Green]

Part of the problem is that he's not playing much point. Nelson and Turner get most of the pg minutes so Smart is out there trying to figure out how to contribute off the ball. He's not a slasher and he wants to create space so he takes threes. I'd wager he's doing what the coaches tell him to, to the best of his ability. Like Avery Bradley I bet this makes him evolve as a shooter but like Avery Bradley it may lead to him never becoming a point guard, and I don't like the idea of the 6th pick being spent on a less athletic/more aggressive Avery Bradley. I don't know whether or not Smart can be made into a great pg but it's guaranteed to never happen from the 2.

[chocolatethunder]

Part of the problem is that he's not playing much point. Nelson and Turner get most of the pg minutes so Smart is out there trying to figure out how to contribute off the ball. He's not a slasher and he wants to create space so he takes threes. I'd wager he's doing what the coaches tell him to, to the best of his ability. Like Avery Bradley I bet this makes him evolve as a shooter but like Avery Bradley it may lead to him never becoming a point guard, and I don't like the idea of the 6th pick being spent on a less athletic/more aggressive Avery Bradley. I don't know whether or not Smart can be made into a great pg but it's guaranteed to never happen from the 2.
That's the thing. He needs the ball to be effective just like Turner. They were gambling taking Smart as their Pg of the future and right now that's not working out. I preferred Turner at the point over Holiday in Philly. Turner is a confounding player though too. He needs the ball in his hands or he might as well not be playing. I think Nelson is on his way out he's not playing that much. I think that they might buy him out. Either way, I didn't like Smart as the 6th pick then and I don't like him now. I'm not sure I like Evan Turner as the teams PG but it's a job he can do. Turner is frustrating because he's decent at a lot of things but he doesn't excel at any.

I agree with what you're saying that Smart will never become a good PG while playing at the two. I'm just not sure that he can become a good PG at all. He doesn't have a lot of natural instincts as a PG. Westbrook doesn't either but he's so damn fast and is such a good scorer that he can make up for it in his own way. Smart is a really good defender and he hustles his ass off so he has that going for him but I don't know what to think. Things are so messed up in Boston its tough to tell what's going on.

[GimmeThat]

if he goes right, a little bit of a contact without the offensive foul than shoot at a consistent clip without great elevation could go along way for his game.

as for going left, it'll probably challenge more of his ability to draw foul, or bail out pg instinct passes.


but you know, a few years in the league as well as a few good off-season, all this changes.

[miggyme1]

another over reaction thread....35 games into his rookie season and we already counting the guy out....lmao....give the man some time....i think he will blossom if he gets moved to sg and follows the dwade mold...just gotta develop a reliable jumper from mid-range..he has the body and size and instincts

[chocolatethunder]

another over reaction thread....35 games into his rookie season and we already counting the guy out....lmao....give the man some time....i think he will blossom if he gets moved to sg and follows the dwade mold...just gotta develop a reliable jumper from mid-range..he has the body and size and instincts
He's not tall or particularly athletic or fast. He has no jumper in anyway. He has almost zero instincts as a PG. He's a hustler tho and a defender so he will have a job for a long time but if you think that he's going to be a scorer in the NBA you might be disappointed. He was a 40% shooter in college and only shot 29% from three. He's not fast enough to be a slasher and he turns the ball over.

That doesn't mean he can't carve out a good career but I would be really surprised if he were an all-star lever player or a really good scorer. He has a greater chance to be Tony Allen than he does a D Wade lite. Which would still be a good career.

[Real Men Wear Green]

another over reaction thread....35 games into his rookie season and we already counting the guy out....lmao....give the man some time....i think he will blossom if he gets moved to sg and follows the dwade mold...just gotta develop a reliable jumper from mid-range..he has the body and size and instincts
He is playing sg right now and its not a good fit. He is a below-average shooter trying to play like a three-point specialist. And he can't be Wade he's not athletic enough and not as tall.

[chocolatethunder]

He is playing sg right now and its not a good fit. He is a below-average shooter trying to play like a three-point specialist. And he can't be Wade he's not athletic enough and not as tall.
You just about summed it up. Unfortunately there's a reason that he's not playing PG either. It's gonna take him a little to figure out where he fits in this league. Not a great pick at 6. At 15-20 he would have been a much better pick. Although, if the Celts didn't take him at 6, some other team would have. Exum was taken 5th and he looks horrible. Or was he taken 4th? Who really cares.

[miggyme1]

He is playing sg right now and its not a good fit. He is a below-average shooter trying to play like a three-point specialist. And he can't be Wade he's not athletic enough and not as tall.


he isnt athletic enough to be what wade is now? smh..cmon yall..i wasnt talking prime wade..im talking about current wade.

[miggyme1]

and marcus smart is 6'4..i thought dwade was as well

[Real Men Wear Green]

You just about summed it up. Unfortunately there's a reason that he's not playing PG either. It's gonna take him a little to figure out where he fits in this league. Not a great pick at 6. At 15-20 he would have been a much better pick. Although, if the Celts didn't take him at 6, some other team would have. Exum was taken 5th and he looks horrible. Or was he taken 4th? Who really cares.
I'm not sure about him as a pg either but if he's going to excel it would be because he learns to play point. I figure maybe he can learn about reading defenses and hitting teammates with the right pass at the right time but there's no way to make him the kind of athlete he'd need to be to be an effective scorer. So if he's going to be made into a player worth picking at #6 he has to start playing pg. Slim hope is better than no hope.
he isnt athletic enough to be what wade is now? smh..cmon yall..i wasnt talking prime wade..im talking about current wade.
Even current Wade is a better athlete and finisher. Smart is almost built like a fullback. Wade has also shown a lot more handle. I'm not saying Smart has no handle but we see him do almost nothing off the dribble. The lack of offensive impact has us starting to wonder why he was drafted so high. Who takes a defensive specialist combo guard in the lottery? It's hard to understand. He needs to show what he can do and that won't happen when he's just chucking threes. Because right now I really can't say he's good at anything offensively at the NBA level.
and marcus smart is 6'4..i thought dwade was as wellYou could be right as that's where his height is listed but watching him on TV he looks like a PG in height. His football build may have given me the wrong impression just looking at him but on the flip side the NBA fudges height all the time.

[ProfessorMurder]

I'm not sure about him as a pg either but if he's going to excel it would be because he learns to play point. I figure maybe he can learn about reading defenses and hitting teammates with the right pass at the right time but there's no way to make him the kind of athlete he'd need to be to be an effective scorer. So if he's going to be made into a player worth picking at #6 he has to start playing pg. Slim hope is better than no hope.

When he retired in 2 years, just pay Andre Miller to teach him.

[CelticBaller]

Give him some time, but please Celtic fans don't expect him to be the next wade, rookie wade was 10 times faster than current smart

[GimmeThat]

If he can up his steals close to 2 per 36 minutes of actual game time. I think he may work out fine as a pg. Itll show that he has the quickness and anticipation.

Maybe his ceiling in terms of impact could be similar to that of DeRozan, only as a 1.

[Real Men Wear Green]

I wonder if Smart has post-up game? Offensively that would be the best use of his size and strength and the Cs have a number of stretch bigs. It might work.

[chocolatethunder]

I wonder if Smart has post-up game? Offensively that would be the best use of his size and strength and the Cs have a number of stretch bigs. It might work.
I wanna be honest, very few players "learn" to be a PG once they're in the NBA so yeah, slim is about the only hope you have. Luckily, he is a great defender and can get better. It's just not a great idea to waste the 6th pick on him. But hey, the Sixers wasted the 2nd pick on Evan Turner. Doug Collins did his best to ruin Turner just like he did Kwame Brown (Jordan helped too) so it's tough to say how much better he could have been. Drafting sucks because you can't win every draft.

[salwan]

yes, I also expected a much quicker and explosive player, who would attack the basket at any given opportunity. in college he was a monster at finishing at the basket and drew a ton of fouls. however, only 20% of his FGs so far in the nba are at the rim. he has suspect handles to be able to beat players off the dribble.

but he is a great defender for a rookie, hard worker and he already shows some range on his shot after half a season - and he was supposed to be a bad shooter.

so lets give him 2-3 years to develop fully. With his mentality I have little doubt he will be a good player in this league.

[D-FENS]

We Celtic fans usually over-hype our rookies, so when we put down one of our players, you know it's for good reason. Marcus Smart is closer to JR Giddens than he is to prime Rajon Rondo

[D-FENS]

yes, I also expected a much quicker and explosive player, who would attack the basket at any given opportunity. in college he was a monster at finishing at the basket and drew a ton of fouls. however, only 20% of his FGs so far in the nba are at the rim. he has suspect handles to be able to beat players off the dribble.

but he is a great defender for a rookie, hard worker and he already shows some range on his shot after half a season - and he was supposed to be a bad shooter.

so lets give him 2-3 years to develop fully. With his mentality I have little doubt he will be a good player in this league.

Best case scenario is that he turns himself into a thicker version of Chauncey Billups that can't run a team as well as Billups

[chocolatethunder]

We Celtic fans usually over-hype our rookies, so when we put down one of our players, you know it's for good reason. Marcus Smart is closer to JR Giddens than he is to prime Rajon Rondo
Haha this is the post of the day by far. That was awesome.