Smart pulled himself out of game 2 after errors

[cman88]

he might not be the best on offense and makes some dumb decisions...but they guy exemplifies being a celtic imo..he fights hard every posession and tends to be clutch

[Eja117]

It worked. It's a good coaching move. Maybe he's growing

[Sketch5]

Yeah, I wasn't quite sure how to take it when they mentioned it yesterday.  Frankly, I'm still not sure except.  My only advice for next game is not to make those mistakes in the first place.

Well of course he doesn't want to make the same mistakes, but some times things just happen with in a game. Some times one mistake snowballs and you need a moment to stepback and gather your self. Its part of being a human being.

As an artist there are days that I make mistake after mistake on a page, on some thing I've done a hundred times. It's better to walk away and have a cup of coffee, shoot some hoops, play an hour of video games to clear my head and then go back to it, rather than just sit and try to grind it out.

It was very adult of Smart being self aware of what was happening. Stevens shouldn't get too upset about it and respect what Smart did. He put team over pride. PP did this once that I remember. He and some one was suppose to come in, but the bench was rolling. And after a couple baskets PP grabbed who ever was with him and went back to the bench and told Doc they're hot, let them play it out.

Some times players know best....Some times. LOL

[Vermont Green]

I think Smart did it for all the right reasons and it worked out but I don't think it is a good precedent to set.  Players should not take themselves out of games unless it is due to injury.  Ideally, Smart needs to learn how to collect himself while on the court.  Maybe during a free throw or something.  I don't think Smart intended to upstage the coach but that is part of the net result.

[Big333223]

Glad to see a player who has an understanding of his limitations and knows when to say when.

But it would also be admirable if Smart were able to make these emotional corrections on the floor and not have to be taken out. Hopefully this is something that comes as he matures.

[nickagneta]

The self awareness of a 23 year old to know, after 2 turnovers and two dumb fouls, that he needs to get out of the game and get his emotions under control because they were effecting his team in a negative fashion is unprecedented in my time watching basketball. That he knew no matter what he did he would continue to err because he only press further is maturity beyond his years and experience. Stevens might not have liked it, but it was the right move.

My only suggedtion would be for Smart to next time tell Stevens how he feels and ask him if he could sit. Let the coach coach. Maybe Stevens could have talked down Smart and that confidence given by his coach could have led to Smart calming down while in the game. After all, Smart is going to have this happen again. He can't remove himself every time he starts messing up.

[D Dub]

The one thing that hasn't been said, and probably should, is that he was about to become the officials whipping boy.   

We see this all the time in the NBA.   Early 4th quarter calls going against the team with a big league. Refs know where their bread is buttered, they are in the business of delivering the fans close games down the stretch. 

I think Smart has been in that spot so many times before.  If you are a ref, and want to whistle a team back into the game, he's an easy player to pick on.   

With both of those early 4th calls against him being 50-50, I think Smart recognized two things. 
1- he was boiling over emotionally
2- the refs were about to use him to whistle WAS back into the game

And FWIW, he'd be a fool to admit the latter.   The way I saw it, taking himself out of the game neutralized the officials, and helped preserve our lead.   Very heady move by, Marcus, in my view.