#Celtics smart player full

Smart doesn’t make that pass in previous seasons because he doesn’t drive the close-out just 18 months ago, that play would have ended as soon as the ball touched his hands in the corner. Smart then sells a second shot fake to re-engage the defense, most notably Giannis Antetokounmpo, before finding Al Horford open at the free throw line for an easy catch-and-shoot opportunity. We can see how Smart puts the ball on the floor to attack Grayson Allen and gets his man airborne with a nifty shot fake after spinning off his defender. Smart ended Game 4 with 8 assists to his name, as he continually exploited the shooting gravity of his teammates to find open shooters and created defensive panic with his rim pressure when beating guys off the dribble. So far in the playoffs, only Smart and Luka Doncic sit within the NBA’S top-10 for total assists in the postseason while playing fewer than eight games. Watching Smart orchestrate Ime Udoka’s offensive gameplan has become a normality for Celtics fans, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t embrace his growth in that area of the floor. But, as the Celtics fought back in a do-or-die contest on Monday night, the “Wolverine” was back to his usual best, as he sliced open the Bucks defense time and time again with his impressive penetration game.

#Celtics smart player full

We didn’t get to see the best version of Smart in the Celtics' Game 3 loss against Milwaukee, as he was still ramping up to full speed after missing Game 2 with a quad injury. Boos and jeers have turned to smiles and cheers as the Celtics' longest-tenured player continues to blossom in his new role of initiating the offense. The notion of having Marcus Smart as the lead guard for the Boston Celtics has long been accepted and celebrated in most areas of the fan base.