Boston Celtics veteran guard Marcus Smart is a terror on the defensive end of the ball, to the degree he’s been getting love in the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year race.
And The Ringer’s Rob Mahoney continued that trend by naming the Flower Mound native one of the NBA’s top five on-ball defenders in a new article on that topic.
The Oklahoma State product came in fourth overall, trailing Los Angeles Clippers wing Kawhi Leonard (No. 1), Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (No. 2), and Philadelphia 76ers point forward Ben Simmons (No. 3), and just ahead of Jrue Holiday of the New Orleans Pelicans.
“What a magnificent heel Smart has turned out to be—in every moment an agitator, competitor, and victim simultaneously. He is strong as hell but will use an opponent’s strength against them,” relates Mahoney, accurately describing Smart’s trademark theater mixed with reckless intensity.
“He will fight for position until the moment he loses it, only to then poke the ball loose. It’s rare to find a defender with a mind not only for the nuances of team defense, but also the charged dynamics of one-on-one basketball. Predicting what an opponent is going to do next takes more than a scouting report. It takes a real, human understanding of all the forces driving a player in that moment, starting with the ego that drives a player to challenge an undersized guard, whether it’s wise or not.”
“It doesn’t hurt, of course, that Smart has some of the best hands in the league and an impeccable sense of timing,” he added.
Mahoney is sure to note the Texan’s uncanny ability to guard up — way up — for his size as well:
“When much larger opponents try to back Smart down, it’s never entirely clear who is the cat and who is the mouse—especially when Smart winds up stripping the ball away in the end. No other player has such a knack for turning lost-cause possessions into jump balls. Commitment alone puts Smart in a position to make more defensive plays than almost anyone else.”
And this, as Celtics fans know, is why the former Cowboy has become the heart and soul (and unofficial captain) of the team.
His unrelenting spirit and consistent high-energy effort have carried him to success even before he found his stroke on offense, and now that he’s a legitimate threat from deep with his heat check tendencies (mostly) under control, he’s become one of the most valuable players in the league.
And not just because of his contract.
