How does Marcus fit in when he comes back?

[MikeJelly]

Marcus Smart is a guy you simply want on your team, I don't care if he starts, or comes off the bench, he plays hard, he defends like you stole his wallet, and he does it all the time. Players see this tenacious attitude, and imitate it. That's the type of stuff Championship are built on. Wait till he's 24-25 years old, and he starts to really know the league. He will find enough offense to justify his minutes, if you give him the same patients you gave Bradley.

When you acquire a new player, even a Demarcus Cousins type of personality, when they see the way Smart, Bradley, Crowder work... they're embarrassed to give just a 75% effort, they step it up. Because remember, you don't need the ball to play smart hard defense.

That's why this team, all of a sudden, began winning a little, when we rid ourselves of Green and Rondo. They began playing together, on the same page. Lead by who? Bradley, Smart, Crowder, players like Turner, IT, RJ, Mickey now understand that's the way this team brings it. 

It's brought us to where we are now.

Very very valid point. I mean look at the way James Young is defending now comparative to when he first came into the league. The guys that bring out the passion and effort in other teammates do a lot more than what shows up on the stat sheet.

[Jon]

I feel like this is such an overrated topic.  I guess the whole starting him or not starting him thing is a debate, but they were basically going with a 3 guard rotation (or a 5 man 1-3 man rotation if you include Crowder and Turner in there).  They'll go back to that now with Smart taking James Young's minutes and with Stevens probably eventually knocking a few minutes each off of Bradley, Thomas, and Turner to get Smart back to 25 mpg or so. 

And now that Stevens is tightening the rotation, who starts and who comes off the bench means even less as there are fewer wholesale substitutions and everyone plays with everyone for the most part. 

[Celtics18]

I like Marcus off the bench.  I want to see him and Kelly get a rhythm together on the second unit along with Turner and Lee. 

[34truth]

Smart is already as good if not better than Allen. His stats are all very similar or better than Allen's throughout his career, with the only difference really being his 2 point fg%, which can largely be explained by the fact that Allen was a 3 and D type who mainly shot threes or took lay ups, in fewer attempts at that.

Tony Allen was anything but 3-and-D. He pretty much takes less than a three pointer a game. He was a guy who could make the corner three in a pinch, and mostly made his living off dribble drives and cuts to the basket.

Essentially, this is what I was trying to say in less words and time (was watching my kids and posting on the iphone, which I'm not a fan of). He basically shot corner threes or layups with only the occasional midrange jumpshot, which aided his overall field goal percentage.

That doesn't make any sense. He never shot 3s, or was never good at it. To be a 3 and D guy you actually need to be able to shoot 3s. That's what the popular/majority of people assume.

A little butt-hurt, are we? You couldn't provide any evidence for you opinion that Smart is a horrible team defender, so you moved on to try and critique another one, eh? Good one, chief...

Like I said, I had a six month old in one arm and my phone in the other, so the best way to get my point across was to say he was more of a 3 and D guy who shot fewer threes and more layups, which led to him having a pretty decent overall field goal percentage due to fewer threes and fewer shots overall. All of which is true.

I had an apple in my left hand. You still didn't make any sense at all. And if it wasn't the weirdest thing I've ever read in this forum I wouldn't mind commenting on it.Butt-hurtness would be trying to justify myself from a ridiculous argument using a child and putting words into someone's mouth.. That would be a little sad. I never said Smart was a horrible team defender, not even a bad one. I said he commited mistakes every game, was still the best 1x1 defender on the team, but in terms of team defense could use improvement on positioning. Impressively, I actually stand by what I said even though I was eating an apple. But then again I was peeling it.. so we may have to revisit my statement

[jpotter33]

Smart is already as good if not better than Allen. His stats are all very similar or better than Allen's throughout his career, with the only difference really being his 2 point fg%, which can largely be explained by the fact that Allen was a 3 and D type who mainly shot threes or took lay ups, in fewer attempts at that.

Tony Allen was anything but 3-and-D. He pretty much takes less than a three pointer a game. He was a guy who could make the corner three in a pinch, and mostly made his living off dribble drives and cuts to the basket.

Essentially, this is what I was trying to say in less words and time (was watching my kids and posting on the iphone, which I'm not a fan of). He basically shot corner threes or layups with only the occasional midrange jumpshot, which aided his overall field goal percentage.

That doesn't make any sense. He never shot 3s, or was never good at it. To be a 3 and D guy you actually need to be able to shoot 3s. That's what the popular/majority of people assume.

A little butt-hurt, are we? You couldn't provide any evidence for you opinion that Smart is a horrible team defender, so you moved on to try and critique another one, eh? Good one, chief...

Like I said, I had a six month old in one arm and my phone in the other, so the best way to get my point across was to say he was more of a 3 and D guy who shot fewer threes and more layups, which led to him having a pretty decent overall field goal percentage due to fewer threes and fewer shots overall. All of which is true.

I had an apple in my left hand. You still didn't make any sense at all. And if it wasn't the weirdest thing I've ever read in this forum I wouldn't mind commenting on it.Butt-hurtness would be trying to justify myself from a ridiculous argument using a child and putting words into someone's mouth.. That would be a little sad. I never said Smart was a horrible team defender, not even a bad one. I said he commited mistakes every game, was still the best 1x1 defender on the team, but in terms of team defense could use improvement on positioning. Impressively, I actually stand by what I said even though I was eating an apple. But then again I was peeling it.. so we may have to revisit my statement

Cool story, bro.

Again, show evidence of Smart "committing help defense mistakes every game," and I'll gladly bow out. You won't, because you don't have any. You've already ignored several posters asking this exact same thing, because the only evidence that you have at your disposal is confirmation bias, i.e. seeing what you want to see.

Also, cute story about the apple. I'm just going to guess you don't have kids in your life, otherwise you wouldn't be as ignorant about time restraints with posting on here.

[Redz]

Smart is already as good if not better than Allen. His stats are all very similar or better than Allen's throughout his career, with the only difference really being his 2 point fg%, which can largely be explained by the fact that Allen was a 3 and D type who mainly shot threes or took lay ups, in fewer attempts at that.

Tony Allen was anything but 3-and-D. He pretty much takes less than a three pointer a game. He was a guy who could make the corner three in a pinch, and mostly made his living off dribble drives and cuts to the basket.

Essentially, this is what I was trying to say in less words and time (was watching my kids and posting on the iphone, which I'm not a fan of). He basically shot corner threes or layups with only the occasional midrange jumpshot, which aided his overall field goal percentage.

That doesn't make any sense. He never shot 3s, or was never good at it. To be a 3 and D guy you actually need to be able to shoot 3s. That's what the popular/majority of people assume.

A little butt-hurt, are we? You couldn't provide any evidence for you opinion that Smart is a horrible team defender, so you moved on to try and critique another one, eh? Good one, chief...

Like I said, I had a six month old in one arm and my phone in the other, so the best way to get my point across was to say he was more of a 3 and D guy who shot fewer threes and more layups, which led to him having a pretty decent overall field goal percentage due to fewer threes and fewer shots overall. All of which is true.

Amateur.  When my daughter was six months old I'd change a diaper while flawlessly concocting and delivering a flawlessly tight rebuttal to any anti-Antoine post that Celtics Blog could throw my way.

[SHAQATTACK]

He'll be coming off he bench no doubt at first,  unless somebody gets hurt or the team struggles and he is reinserted.

I think CBS has to let IT and AB  continue , long as it's working. 

Smart knows this .

Part of the NBA life,  if your out for injury.....not uncommon to have to play yourself back into the lineup .   AlwAys a risk the next man up takes your job.   See David Lee.

[jpotter33]

Smart is already as good if not better than Allen. His stats are all very similar or better than Allen's throughout his career, with the only difference really being his 2 point fg%, which can largely be explained by the fact that Allen was a 3 and D type who mainly shot threes or took lay ups, in fewer attempts at that.

Tony Allen was anything but 3-and-D. He pretty much takes less than a three pointer a game. He was a guy who could make the corner three in a pinch, and mostly made his living off dribble drives and cuts to the basket.

Essentially, this is what I was trying to say in less words and time (was watching my kids and posting on the iphone, which I'm not a fan of). He basically shot corner threes or layups with only the occasional midrange jumpshot, which aided his overall field goal percentage.

That doesn't make any sense. He never shot 3s, or was never good at it. To be a 3 and D guy you actually need to be able to shoot 3s. That's what the popular/majority of people assume.

A little butt-hurt, are we? You couldn't provide any evidence for you opinion that Smart is a horrible team defender, so you moved on to try and critique another one, eh? Good one, chief...

Like I said, I had a six month old in one arm and my phone in the other, so the best way to get my point across was to say he was more of a 3 and D guy who shot fewer threes and more layups, which led to him having a pretty decent overall field goal percentage due to fewer threes and fewer shots overall. All of which is true.

Amateur.  When my daughter was six months old I'd change a diaper while flawlessly concocting and delivering a flawlessly tight rebuttal to any anti-Antoine post that Celtics Blog could throw my way.

Haha I must humbly bow to your greatness at multitasking then. I can barely change a diaper with two hands!