Is it possible not to love Marcus? Though he is still volatile on the court and will probably go too far once or twice next year, this guy really is rounding into an interesting, thoughtful adult. It's crazy that he is only 25. He has tremendous leadership qualities and I've got to believe he is a great teammate. I think he handled the questions well and he gave a very balanced acknowledgement of the team's dysfunction along with respect and praise for his teammates. I love that he said that the guys all liked each other off the court -- but that they just couldn't adjust on the court. Didn't sound blaming at all, either to Kyrie, the coaching staff, or anyone else.
Nicely done Marcus! So glad he is a Celtic and hope we can keep that great spirit and great contract on this team for a long time.
I had a completely opposite reaction. Smart says he was a great teammate to him. Who cares? He ruined the team. I think Smart is gonna be a problem. Jaylen has to start in front of him if Brad has any guts at all. Smart has tried bullying Jaylen in the past. Of course it’s my speculation but I think Smart wants there to be this view that other guys were responsible too ( Jaylen being one). I think he’s threatened. Saying he’s gonna be less passive? Nooo!!! Last year was just fine. Smart and Tatum to me are saying the wrong things.
Why does JB have to start in front of him? Outside of slashing and inside scoring, Jaylen is an inferior passer, playmaker, on ball/interior/help defender and I haven’t checked the stats but I’m assuming rebounding is a wash. 3pt shooting, it wouldn’t surprise me if the 2 are similar based on last year. Besides, with Kemba/Tatum/Hayward/Kanter, that is a starting lineup that’s already heavy on offense. I wouldn’t be surprised if Smart’s in the starting lineup because 1) he’s a low usage player, 2) he makes an impact in other areas of the game, and 3) he’s earned it.
And honestly, I can buy the narrative that not everything was Kyrie’s fault. I mean, at the very least it seems like Rozier was a chemistry problem as well (fwiw, I understand rozier’s frustration. Doesn’t make it right though. But I understand).
The differences between Jaylen and Marcus on offense are huge. Teams cheat heavily off Marcus, and while he has finally learned to be more selective shooting threes last year, that does make it tougher for the other players on the floor. He can't beat anyone off the dribble. Jaylen gets covered aggressively, and helps with spacing. He can finish his drives.
On defense, the difference between the two isn't that much. Marcus makes a lot of fun plays, but he isn't a pressure defender, because he isn't quick and explosive. Clever point guards that can shoot often light Marcus up, because he needs to give them some space. Jaylen covers more space on the perimeter than anyone in the league. He makes less of the eye-catching plays but his defensive impact overall isn't that far off what Marcus brings. He's just a better player overall.
If the C's didn't see him as a better player than Smart, they would have traded him by now.