2021-2022 Point Guard?

[Rikibellevie]

What we get with Smart is pretty good playmaking for others, an average offensive talent, when he doesn't try to do too much, and an all league defender who can switch and guard anyone in the league well, except maybe Joel Emblid. Having 3 defenders (also the J's) who can guard just about anyone, makes the Celtics  defense formidable. I think PP is a strong back-up. I don't think we need more than a league minimum 3rd PG. The only way this does not work is if Smart takes many more shots than he should, I am willing to give it a try, and spend our resources on Fournier, extending Williams, and maybe picking up a 4.

I don't think so... Smart even look less a PG than at the begenong of his career. His elite skills is the ability to switch 1 to 5 and to make decisive plays defensively. But offensively he is below average for me. Average in playmaking, but bellow average in shhot selection, global IQ, capacity of attacking the basket and dribbling. He is better fited to play at 2 or to be 6th men and playmaker with 2d unit, facing mostly lower attacking and slower PG's. Not even saying that Pritchard must have a very solid 1st option behind him, we at least may have interrogation to lead a PO team all along.
So no, I don't hope at all we go with a Smart/ Pritchard duo. It is even more urgent than finding a stretch 4.

[td450]

What we get with Smart is pretty good playmaking for others, an average offensive talent, when he doesn't try to do too much, and an all league defender who can switch and guard anyone in the league well, except maybe Joel Emblid. Having 3 defenders (also the J's) who can guard just about anyone, makes the Celtics  defense formidable. I think PP is a strong back-up. I don't think we need more than a league minimum 3rd PG. The only way this does not work is if Smart takes many more shots than he should, I am willing to give it a try, and spend our resources on Fournier, extending Williams, and maybe picking up a 4.

On the other hand, he isn't particularly complementary to Tatum and Brown, which is the core objective of management. He slows down the pace and movement, and he has questionable judgement. He's no longer an awful 3 point shooter, but he's still not good enough for teams to stop cheating off to help out. He can't beat anyone off the dribble, except old-man style.

He's acceptable for now, but we'd get a lot better if he played a different role.

If we don't make a move, I think it might be worth it to try Tremont Waters for 10-15 games and see how it goes. He's a good passer, he can shoot, he's a remarkably good defender for such a small player, and he brings pace that Marcus doesn't. He's got a toughness about him. It could very well not work, but we really need some pace to get the most out of our stars and it might be worth a try.

[Vermont Green]

Barring a trade, I'm expecting Marcus to be the starting PG. We may use the tax-MLE or one of the small TPE's to bring in a veteran backup, but I think Brad will give PG Marcus an extended look.

I agree

Horford
FA or trade
Tatum
Brown
Smart

Celtics defense should be better this upcoming season.  Defense and ball movement

IF we can get a legitimate starting PF, that ends up being a really good team.  Saying this isn't to say that finding a decent PF will be easy but rather that Smart isn't the problem with this team and upgrading the PG position is not going to improve us nearly as much as upgrading the PF position.

Marcus last season produced 13 pts, 5.7 assists while providing all-nba defense.  Yes, you would like to see a little better shooting and/or scoring efficiency but if he added that, he would be an elite PG.  Marcus' 3 pt shooting was 1.9 made per 5.9 shots (about 33%).  If he just made one more every other game, it would be 2.4 for 5.9 and 40%.

As to volume, the top guard (Curry) took 12.7 3PA per game.  Marcus with 5.9 3PA is 47th among guards.  Granted, there are only 4 guards who took more 3PA but had a lower made % but Marcus is not a super high volume 3pt shooter.

To succeed as the primary PG, he will need better shot selection (I agree he does get a little "hero-y" sometimes) and focus on setting up others.  He is a good passer when he does that.  He can handle the ball just fine.  He is not real fast with the ball but I feel he can be more than sufficient as the primary PG on a good team.

[CBS_Take a Report]

Markelle Fultz

Would be cool for him to end up on Celtics after we traded out of #1. I think he and Tatum are pretty tight.

[ozgod]

It will be Smart and Payton. Everyone wanted Payton to get consistent time, now he will. Let's hope he's been working on his defense in the offseason 

[Bostonborn62]

If the Celtics ever want to run a fast break offence again, it will never happen with Marcus Smart, Smart is too slow, make too many dumb decisions and he thinks he's a weapon on offence, which he is not. The way Marcus plays feeds into ISO ball, which is what we are trying NOT to do.  I would trade him if possible for a Lonzo Ball type, Big, pass first, move the ball guard.

[Birdman]

If Marcus Smart is our starting PG next season then we are in big trouble

[SHAQATTACK]

I suppose Udoka will be studying this situation of PG pretty quick. But, we have got use trying to think like Danny an maybe seeing things though his eyes .  Brad might prove to be more different than similar GM style.

[CFAN38]

Barring a trade, I'm expecting Marcus to be the starting PG. We may use the tax-MLE or one of the small TPE's to bring in a veteran backup, but I think Brad will give PG Marcus an extended look.

I agree

Horford
FA or trade
Tatum
Brown
Smart

Celtics defense should be better this upcoming season.  Defense and ball movement

You think the C’s are going to trade for/FA Sign a starting caliber PF/C? Such as...

I agree that we will see BS sign a forward to start next to Tatum. I suspect he looks for a 3/4 Swing forward ideally with enough size to play some small ball 5.  A Trade option could be Kyle Anderson (not sure what Memphis would want) FA options could be Otto Porter or Jeff Green.

As for PG I’m fine with starting Marcus, backing up with Pritchard, then signing a Wanamaker like vet to compete with Yam or maybe Langford for 3rd pg role

[Celtics2021]

I really think we will move and replace Smart as 6th men or at SG. Hopefully with the MLE for an experimented 2Y contract, if Lonzo ST isn't, for a reason or another, sustunable.

Brad isn’t trading Smart.  He likes Marcus more than Ainge.

[SparzWizard]

Barring a trade, I'm expecting Marcus to be the starting PG. We may use the tax-MLE or one of the small TPE's to bring in a veteran backup, but I think Brad will give PG Marcus an extended look.

I agree

Horford
FA or trade
Tatum
Brown
Smart

Celtics defense should be better this upcoming season.  Defense and ball movement

You think the C’s are going to trade for/FA Sign a starting caliber PF/C? Such as...

I agree that we will see BS sign a forward to start next to Tatum. I suspect he looks for a 3/4 Swing forward ideally with enough size to play some small ball 5.  A Trade option could be Kyle Anderson (not sure what Memphis would want) FA options could be Otto Porter or Jeff Green.

As for PG I’m fine with starting Marcus, backing up with Pritchard, then signing a Wanamaker like vet to compete with Yam or maybe Langford for 3rd pg role

But Stevens already have Jabari Parker to play next to Tatum

[Big333223]

Smart, Pritchard and maybe Madar?

I think the C's will look to sign a vet to steady the second unit for cheap. Basically what they tried with the Teague signing last year.

There are a couple of names out there I'd like to see the C's go after to improve the pg position but I don't know that anyone that I want is actually gettable. This seems like a good rotation is the rest of the pieces fit and that vet signing is actually any good.

[Rosco917]

Point guard talk aside for a second...I like how everyone is penciling in Horford into the starting lineup. This isn't the Horford of 2017, he's 36 now, and has suspect knee's, Realistically, I wonder just how many games and quality minutes we'll actually get out of him.

I would like to see Prichard get a real good look as the potential starting PG. He pushes pace, has an above average handle, stretches the floor, and the Celtics scoring is based on the J's anyway. Hopefully his defense improves in his second year.

Smart can go back to a sixth man roll, and help our super thin bench.

 

[Big333223]

Point guard talk aside for a second...I like how everyone is penciling in Horford into the starting lineup. This isn't the Horford of 2017, he's 36 now, and has suspect knee's, Realistically, I wonder just how many games and quality minutes we'll actually get out of him.

Same. If Timelord is healthy, I think he'll be the starter.

[ETNCeltics]

What's Kyle Lowery going to fetch on the market?