I love him -- I hate him

[Fierce1]

I am not buying that other players don't want the ball on those late clutch shots. I do think Marcus thinks he is a lot better passer, shooter, and clutch shooter than he actually is and is taking it upon himself to keep the ball and take those shots.

I doubt Stevens wanted Marcus taking as many forced and contested and bad clutch shots as he took. So it is his job to let Smart know he is out there now to get the ball to the guys that score in those late game situations, not to try to set himself up. Sacramento, Stevens would probably not mention much. But now two close game situations in a row and Smart appears to be having sticky fingers in clutch situations, let's hope he said something this time and let's hope it sinks in with Smart.

He has to give that ball up to the guys that can create and shoot much better shots for themselves. Or, he has to run a set play, one where he doesn't still have the ball in his hands near the three point line when it comes time to shoot. That late game out of bounds play to Tatum shows he is ready to make those buckets. Kemba built his career on hitting clutch shots. I would trust Hayward and Brown to make a clutch last second basket over Smart.

(Yes. I know Hayward wasn't there because he is injured. But, even after Hayward comes back, I think we will see a lot of Kemba, Smart, Brown, Hayward and Tatum lineups in clutch late game situations and if that is so, Smart should be the last person touching the ball in late game offensive possessions. He should be the one in the corner not being involved in the offense, not Brown, Hayward or Tatum. So that is why I included Gordon.)

No big man in late game situations?

Or maybe it will be Smart or Brown not on the court in late game situations.

Those are their five best players and in late game,
clutch time, offensive possessions, those are the five guys you want on the floor. If you can sub Theis in and out, possession by possession, real late, great. But otherwise you live on defense that late with an in your shirt, switch everything, pressure defense that will continue to switch off ball to assure Kemba isn't getting put on a big center.

I think I saw Brad try that against the Sixers in the first game.

Celts got beat badly in the paint.

[vjcsmoke]

Clippers had a party and shot blocking was their main course.

Seriously though we lost this game more because we left wide open threes for Beverly and other roleplayers to nail time after time.

Our perimeter defense/rotations was really bad at the end of the game and overtime.

Marcus Smart taking a last ditch shot, meant our offense didn't do enough to rotate to a shotmaker who is better equipped to make said shot.

I hope the Celtics can fix their perimeter defense in late game situations because it is killing them to give up these wide open threes.  And when you fall behind that puts you in a position where sometimes you have a guy like Smart being forced to make a hard shot.

[Big333223]

I love Marcus. No qualification, I just striaght love him.

That said, there are 4-5 players on the team I'd rather see taking the final shot, generally speaking.

[nickagneta]

I love Marcus. No qualification, I just striaght love him.

That said, there are 4-5 players on the team I'd rather see taking the final shot, generally speaking.

Yeah, a guy shooting 37% from the field and 34% from three should not be the guy taking your last shot. Not with Tatum, Brown, Hayward and Kemba on the team and/or the floor.

[ausbacker]

I love Marcus. No qualification, I just striaght love him.

That said, there are 4-5 players on the team I'd rather see taking the final shot, generally speaking.

He just doesn't learn does he? Why try the layup when all you need to do is dribble out some clock and go through a set.

[gouki88]

I love Marcus. No qualification, I just striaght love him.

That said, there are 4-5 players on the team I'd rather see taking the final shot, generally speaking.

He just doesn't learn does he? Why try the layup when all you need to do is dribble out some clock and go through a set.

What a ridiculous criticism. Guy gets the clutch steal, has an open lay-up, gets obviously fouled with no call, and is lambasted by Celts fans

[Fierce1]

I love Marcus. No qualification, I just striaght love him.

That said, there are 4-5 players on the team I'd rather see taking the final shot, generally speaking.

He just doesn't learn does he? Why try the layup when all you need to do is dribble out some clock and go through a set.

What a ridiculous criticism. Guy gets the clutch steal, has an open lay-up, gets obviously fouled with no call, and is lambasted by Celts fans

True.

Marcus Smart is the MVP of this team so far this season.

Smart is doing it all, defense and offense.

But ausbacker has a point, Celts were leading by 1, just pull the ball out, no need for that shot.

[Somebody]

I thought he only really had one bad play down the stretch, and that was ignoring the mismatch Brown had in the post to shoot a contested fadeaway over a wing. It went in, but it was a shockingly bad play.

[ausbacker]

I love Marcus. No qualification, I just striaght love him.

That said, there are 4-5 players on the team I'd rather see taking the final shot, generally speaking.

He just doesn't learn does he? Why try the layup when all you need to do is dribble out some clock and go through a set.

What a ridiculous criticism. Guy gets the clutch steal, has an open lay-up, gets obviously fouled with no call, and is lambasted by Celts fans

And put them in a position to once again, lose the game. Complain about the officials all you like, it's not a foul unless it's called.

I love what he brings to the Celtics but he's a slow learner.

[Fierce1]

I thought he only really had one bad play down the stretch, and that was ignoring the mismatch Brown had in the post to shoot a contested fadeaway over a wing. It went in, but it was a shockingly bad play.

That's why the ball should be in Hayward's hands when it's crunch time.

Smart tends to go for the home run plays every time.

[Fierce1]

I love Marcus. No qualification, I just striaght love him.

That said, there are 4-5 players on the team I'd rather see taking the final shot, generally speaking.

He just doesn't learn does he? Why try the layup when all you need to do is dribble out some clock and go through a set.

What a ridiculous criticism. Guy gets the clutch steal, has an open lay-up, gets obviously fouled with no call, and is lambasted by Celts fans

And put them in a position to once again, lose the game. Complain about the officials all you like, it's not a foul unless it's called.

I love what he brings to the Celtics but he's a slow learner.

I think experience is the best teacher for Marcus Smart.

Hopefully he will make better decisions when it's playoff time.

[nickagneta]

I love Marcus. No qualification, I just striaght love him.

That said, there are 4-5 players on the team I'd rather see taking the final shot, generally speaking.

He just doesn't learn does he? Why try the layup when all you need to do is dribble out some clock and go through a set.

What a ridiculous criticism. Guy gets the clutch steal, has an open lay-up, gets obviously fouled with no call, and is lambasted by Celts fans

Especially since he couldn't run the clock out. If the shot clock is off, you bring it out and make them foul. But an open run at the basket and not being able to run out the clock, you go for the layup. And as you said, the man was fouled. It was the right move.

[ausbacker]

I love Marcus. No qualification, I just striaght love him.

That said, there are 4-5 players on the team I'd rather see taking the final shot, generally speaking.

He just doesn't learn does he? Why try the layup when all you need to do is dribble out some clock and go through a set.

What a ridiculous criticism. Guy gets the clutch steal, has an open lay-up, gets obviously fouled with no call, and is lambasted by Celts fans

And put them in a position to once again, lose the game. Complain about the officials all you like, it's not a foul unless it's called.

I love what he brings to the Celtics but he's a slow learner.

I think experience is the best teacher for Marcus Smart.

Hopefully he will make better decisions when it's playoff time.

I sure hope so. I'm hopeful final plays run through Hayward, Kemba and Tatum not Smart come playoffs. He's arguably the best defender in the NBA but sometimes (to me at least), he overestimates his offensive capabilities and plays hero ball where there's better options.

[Fierce1]

I love Marcus. No qualification, I just striaght love him.

That said, there are 4-5 players on the team I'd rather see taking the final shot, generally speaking.

He just doesn't learn does he? Why try the layup when all you need to do is dribble out some clock and go through a set.

What a ridiculous criticism. Guy gets the clutch steal, has an open lay-up, gets obviously fouled with no call, and is lambasted by Celts fans

Especially since he couldn't run the clock out. If the shot clock is off, you bring it out and make them foul. But an open run at the basket and not being able to run out the clock, you go for the layup. And as you said, the man was fouled. It was the right move.

It was close but here's the time when that play occurred.

25.6      Buddy Hield blocks Marcus Smart 's 2-foot two point shot   102 - 103

I think the only mistake was Smart not making that shot.
If Smart made that shot, there would be no issue.

[Fierce1]

I love Marcus. No qualification, I just striaght love him.

That said, there are 4-5 players on the team I'd rather see taking the final shot, generally speaking.

He just doesn't learn does he? Why try the layup when all you need to do is dribble out some clock and go through a set.

What a ridiculous criticism. Guy gets the clutch steal, has an open lay-up, gets obviously fouled with no call, and is lambasted by Celts fans

And put them in a position to once again, lose the game. Complain about the officials all you like, it's not a foul unless it's called.

I love what he brings to the Celtics but he's a slow learner.

I think experience is the best teacher for Marcus Smart.

Hopefully he will make better decisions when it's playoff time.

I sure hope so. I'm hopeful final plays run through Hayward, Kemba and Tatum not Smart come playoffs. He's arguably the best defender in the NBA but sometimes (to me at least), he overestimates his offensive capabilities and plays hero ball where there's better options.

I agree with you on that.

But I'm sure the ball will be in Hayward's hands in the playoffs, in crunch time.