Marcus Smart receiving some advice from Chauncey Billups recently.

[Monkhouse]

“I think role models are always really important,” Larranaga said. “And as Marcus and I have worked more and more together, you start to break down all the different parts of Marcus as a person — physically, athletically, career path, all those different things.”

Larranaga noticed similarities between Smart and retired seven-time All-Star Chauncey Billups. So he contacted former Celtics assistant and current Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue, who is one of Billups’s closest friends, and asked if Billups might be open to meeting with Smart. Billups responded almost immediately.

Billups invited Smart and Larranaga to visit him in Denver, and in late August they flew out to spend three days there. Like Smart, Billups started his career searching a bit for his position. He was a relentless defender whose point guard skills were somewhat crude, but he learned important lessons from veteran floor general Terrell Brandon.

Smart and Billups completed on-court workouts at the University of Denver, watched film, and simply talked about the game’s various nuances. Billups’s knee was a bit sore from playing in the BIG3 three-on-three tournament, so he and Smart were not able to lock horns, although there still may be a time for that.

“It was tremendous,” Smart said of the visit. “Me and Chauncey are similar in a lot of ways. We’re bigger guards who like to impose our will, who love contact. So being able to learn from a guy who knows what it takes to play in this league a very long time and win a championship, to learn and kind of pick his brain was good.”

Great.

I always believed Smart was more of a Joe Dumars, Billups, Payton kind of mix. I think his desire to lose weight, and work ethic is what is going to propel him into Allstar/fringe sixth man probability. I also think with the impending decrease in talent may fortify a potential chance for Smart to sneak in that discussion as well.

Smart may not ever become an offensive juggernaut, but Smart is an fierce competitor. Someone who doesn't give up.

What are your thoughts on this?

https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/celtics/2017/09/27/marcus-smart-got-key-assist-from-chauncey-billups-this-offseason/MvtKuddWSfXeBMATAJ3roI/story.html