Is it time to give Smart the keys to the team as our long term point guard?

[Who]

I see Smart as similar to an old Dennis Johnson but the league isn't. Smart would have been much more successful as a starting PG in the 80s while DJ would not have been as successful today as an older player playing PG as he was in the 80s. The league has changed too much.

It is too hard to play Smart at PG without a ball-handling wing who can run the offense like Doncic, Harden or LeBron. Smart simply does not offer enough quickness & dribble penetration to break the first line of a team's defense. That is before we get to his limited scoring ability.

When Smart plays PG next to middling playmaking wings, the offense becomes stagnant with everything happening in front of a set defense. 5 guys between the basket and the ball. One C's player trying to play hero ball and the C's offense going down the toilet. They can't win playing that type of basketball.

Payton Pritchard is the one who has the chance to unseat Kemba as the team's starting PG. Not Marcus Smart. Pritchard needs to offer some more dribble penetration but I feel he can give us some of that next year with some more growth. And unlike Smart, Pritchard is a high level shooter / efficiency player with good decision making capabilities who doesn't try to do things that are outside his wheelhouse.

This is the way I see it playing out. I really want Pritchard to be the starting PG next year - I think he could be a top 15 PG in the comp sooner rather than later. His efficiency, movement with and without the ball, and ability to spread the floor for our two stars is great

The one thing I've noticed with PP lately is that he drives, gets to the key and gets stuck and sort of has to dish the ball back out awkwardly. I think eventually he will be able to do what Hayward was so good at, drive and pass in one fluid motion, but right now it's like he's still unsure of exactly where everyone is on the court.

Yeah, Pritchard seems like he could learn to do this. Kemba has completely altered his game in the last few games and has become excellent at this. And this just isn't Smart's game at all. I like Smart at PG at times, but the ability to penetrate the defense and find guys for easy 3s is just too important for a team that shoots a lot of 3s.

Pritchard reminds me of Calderon.

They are not the same player but what reminds me of Calderon is how safe & dependable Pritchard is when on the ball. He hardly ever makes mistakes. He is stable. Steady. Takes good shots, makes good decisions. Keeps the ball moving, keeps teammates happy and involved.

As Pritchard gets more comfortable in knowing when to attack and when to defer, he'll be one heck of a guard (role player wise). His offensive game will be one of the best outside of the star PGs given his high efficiency game based around high level shooting & low mistakes & steady decision making.

[CelticsBR]

wrong thread

[gouki88]

I see Smart as similar to an old Dennis Johnson but the league isn't. Smart would have been much more successful as a starting PG in the 80s while DJ would not have been as successful today as an older player playing PG as he was in the 80s. The league has changed too much.

It is too hard to play Smart at PG without a ball-handling wing who can run the offense like Doncic, Harden or LeBron. Smart simply does not offer enough quickness & dribble penetration to break the first line of a team's defense. That is before we get to his limited scoring ability.

When Smart plays PG next to middling playmaking wings, the offense becomes stagnant with everything happening in front of a set defense. 5 guys between the basket and the ball. One C's player trying to play hero ball and the C's offense going down the toilet. They can't win playing that type of basketball.

Payton Pritchard is the one who has the chance to unseat Kemba as the team's starting PG. Not Marcus Smart. Pritchard needs to offer some more dribble penetration but I feel he can give us some of that next year with some more growth. And unlike Smart, Pritchard is a high level shooter / efficiency player with good decision making capabilities who doesn't try to do things that are outside his wheelhouse.

This is the way I see it playing out. I really want Pritchard to be the starting PG next year - I think he could be a top 15 PG in the comp sooner rather than later. His efficiency, movement with and without the ball, and ability to spread the floor for our two stars is great

The one thing I've noticed with PP lately is that he drives, gets to the key and gets stuck and sort of has to dish the ball back out awkwardly. I think eventually he will be able to do what Hayward was so good at, drive and pass in one fluid motion, but right now it's like he's still unsure of exactly where everyone is on the court.

Yeah, Pritchard seems like he could learn to do this. Kemba has completely altered his game in the last few games and has become excellent at this. And this just isn't Smart's game at all. I like Smart at PG at times, but the ability to penetrate the defense and find guys for easy 3s is just too important for a team that shoots a lot of 3s.

Pritchard reminds me of Calderon.

They are not the same player but what reminds me of Calderon is how safe & dependable Pritchard is when on the ball. He hardly ever makes mistakes. He is stable. Steady. Takes good shots, makes good decisions. Keeps the ball moving, keeps teammates happy and involved.

As Pritchard gets more comfortable in knowing when to attack and when to defer, he'll be one heck of a guard (role player wise). His offensive game will be one of the best outside of the star PGs given his high efficiency game based around high level shooting & low mistakes & steady decision making.

Very interesting comparison. Always forget how solid Calderon was in Toronto for a few years. I think PP will be a better scorer and worse passer than Calderon, but that under control nature is definitely similar. Just a trustworthy guard