Bench Smart / Marcus Calls Out The Jays

[Amonkey]

I don't think Marcus Smart should be doing that publicly and does make a bad look for our team. I thought the first game we showed some good stuff but haven't seen much fight since. However, maybe Marcus is taking a play of Ime's playbook of publicly calling out players. As much as I want to like Udoka's style, the calling out players and this attitude of 'guys needs to pick-up energy, needs to break old habits' is rubbing me the wrong way because his stance is not that they need to hold themselves accountable (himself included). It always seem like the players are wrong and whatever happens, it's on the players (which is accurate but not sure if it helps with players being held accountable and playing for the coach).

Maybe his message will go across and he humbles himself a little bit but so far I am not too impressed.

[dannyboy35]

  Shouldn’t be speaking that into a microphone. It’s a Kyrie move. It’s lame. I’d really like them to move on from Smart. But I don’t know how much value he has. He has t played defense the way he used to in over a year.

[showtime]

Smart is a highlight reels seeker that manipulates our brain into thinking that he is a defensive stalwart. He is careless with the ball, making mental errors, and can't shoot despite taking lots of shots.

His teammates are getting tired of passing to him since it is an equivalent of a turnover.

Somebody should yell at him that actually the emperor has no clothes.I

I've been saying that for years!

[Ed Monix]

It was a surprising night for Marcus Smart to critique Jayson Tatum’s late game passing

[#1P4P]

Smart shot 5-11 and 3-5 from 3 with 4 steals, he actually had a solid game statistically. What he isn’t understanding is that part of opposing teams game plan is to bait Smart into taking shots.

Smart’s defenders give him a lot of space and doubling off him, leaving him open, and hoping they get the ball out of Tatum and Brown’s hands or that he takes the shot. Smart has gotten plenty of open looks this season and and he’s missed the majority of them. Marcus has to take a look at himself like Draymond did and note that even contested Tatum and Brown shots are better than most open Smart looks.

This is what Udoka opened the door to. Singling out players in the media is not “holding players accountable”, it opens the floodgates for gossip and amplifies public criticism. Now, we’re a topic on all the sport debate shows and probably getting killed on local radio shows to.

[nickagneta]

Jaylen Brown, one of 2 players along with Al Horford that can be argued has been the Celtics best overall player this year and also is, without a doubt, the team's best offensive player this season, has now been thrown under the bus in public call outs not once, but twice, in less than a week. Once by Udoka and once by Smart. A coach with no head coaching experience and a player who has been beyond awful all this year and most of last year.

What does Jaylen have to do to get a little respect from his coaches and team mates? Career highs in PPG, RPG, DRPG, SPG, FG%, 2PT%, eFG%, FT%, TS%, just isn't enough apparently. He played through hand and wrist pain through most of the end of last season. Played through the after affects of Covid this year. He is completely ignored by his team mates on the court for 10+ minutes per game, late in games seeming all the time the last couple years. But somehow, he is the guy getting called out.

I don't get it.

[moiso]

Jaylen Brown, one of 2 players along with Al Horford that can be argued has been the Celtics best overall player this year and also is, without a doubt, the team's best offensive player this season, has now been thrown under the bus in public call outs not once, but twice, in less than a week. Once by Udoka and once by Smart. A coach with no head coaching experience and a player who has been beyond awful all this year and most of last year.

What does Jaylen have to do to get a little respect from his coaches and team mates? Career highs in PPG, RPG, DRPG, SPG, FG%, 2PT%, eFG%, FT%, TS%, just isn't enough apparently. He played through hand and wrist pain through most of the end of last season. Played through the after affects of Covid this year. He is completely ignored by his team mates on the court for 10+ minutes per game, late in games seeming all the time the last couple years. But somehow, he is the guy getting called out.

I don't get it.

I don't get it either.  He seems prone to being picked on for some reason.  In my opinion Jaylen is now the best thing about the Celtics, and he should be treated better.  With his constantly improving handle and shooting, he seems far and away our best player now.  I've been fantasizing about Jaylen becoming option A on this team and that would probably require moving on from Tatum.  I've also thought a lot about what Mike D'Antoni would do in terms of really allowing Jaylen to play to his potential.

[Csfan1984]

The Jays have to be better but a roleplayer who every other game is shooting like trash shouldn't be calling them out. Smart needs to go. If anyone feels super entitled it's him. Smart is a glorified defender who dropped off last year. Ship him out.

[Moranis]

If Boston is going to keep starting 2 bigs, then Schroder needs to be the other guy on the floor with Brown and Tatum.  The team needs an actual playmaker on the floor and Smart just isn't good in that role.  I do think the team would be better off with Schroder, Smart, Brown, Tatum, and Horford starting though.  That has always been the lineup that makes the most sense to me.  Trim up the rotation for a few games (play like 9 guys) and really hunker down and see what the team can do. 

[esel1000]

Jaylen Brown, one of 2 players along with Al Horford that can be argued has been the Celtics best overall player this year and also is, without a doubt, the team's best offensive player this season, has now been thrown under the bus in public call outs not once, but twice, in less than a week. Once by Udoka and once by Smart. A coach with no head coaching experience and a player who has been beyond awful all this year and most of last year.

What does Jaylen have to do to get a little respect from his coaches and team mates? Career highs in PPG, RPG, DRPG, SPG, FG%, 2PT%, eFG%, FT%, TS%, just isn't enough apparently. He played through hand and wrist pain through most of the end of last season. Played through the after affects of Covid this year. He is completely ignored by his team mates on the court for 10+ minutes per game, late in games seeming all the time the last couple years. But somehow, he is the guy getting called out.

I don't get it.

I don't get it either.  He seems prone to being picked on for some reason.  In my opinion Jaylen is now the best thing about the Celtics, and he should be treated better.  With his constantly improving handle and shooting, he seems far and away our best player now.  I've been fantasizing about Jaylen becoming option A on this team and that would probably require moving on from Tatum.  I've also thought a lot about what Mike D'Antoni would do in terms of really allowing Jaylen to play to his potential.

Honestly if our defense was going to be dead last anyway we may as well have hired D’Antoni. He’d coach circles around Ime on offense and probably maximize this roster’s talent.

That said Smart needs to go, we’re way past the point where he’s worth it. I get that he makes “winning” plays at times, and I truly do believe the Marcus of two years ago was a vital piece of this team but his attitude and more importantly his play have gone downhill over the last two years. He does way more bad than good, and sprouting off to the media is the icing on the cake.

[gouki88]

If Boston is going to keep starting 2 bigs, then Schroder needs to be the other guy on the floor with Brown and Tatum.  The team needs an actual playmaker on the floor and Smart just isn't good in that role.  I do think the team would be better off with Schroder, Smart, Brown, Tatum, and Horford starting though.  That has always been the lineup that makes the most sense to me.  Trim up the rotation for a few games (play like 9 guys) and really hunker down and see what the team can do.

I agree, the playmaking and penetration Schroder provides is crucial if we continue starting two bigs.

[#1P4P]

Regardless of Smart’s comments, the Celtics’ bigger problem has been what happens when Tatum and/or Brown hit the bench. They have outscored opponents by 9.3 points per 100 possessions with both All-Stars on the court, but have deteriorated in other situations. Even staggering the two wings hasn’t helped much. The Celtics are getting bludgeoned by 20.4 points per 100 possessions with Tatum on the court, but not Brown, and by 9.3 points per 100 possessions with Brown on the court, but not Tatum. Over 130 minutes without Brown in the lineup this season, the Celtics have been destroyed by an incredible 59 points. Their net rating of -22.2 with him on the bench is unforgivable.

“Overall, I think that we relaxed and got lazy,” Udoka said. “Acted like the game was over.”

https://theathletic.com/2929332/2021/11/02/pressure-mounts-for-celtics-after-terrible-fourth-quarter-collapse-we-relaxed-and-got-lazy-acted-like-the-game-was-over/

Udoka doesn’t trust his reserves and fails to insert them appropriately, taxes our starters and it reflects in their performance, then takes a shot at them in the name of “accountability”. They played a high intensity game for close to 3 quarters of the game, it’s not relaxed and lazy, it’s tired and in need of a rest!

Tatum and Brown lead the league in MPG!

The reserves have been awful, but you trust that they’ll improve and figure out how to place them in great situations for them to thrive because you’re going to need them. Instead, he distrusts and tightens the rotation. Up 19 was a great occasion to build/test the reserves confidence by inserting a high energy player like Nesmith, pushing the pace with Pritchard, and having Kanter post up and try to gain extra possessions.

Udoka has to look at himself because he’s the main reason that this situation is what it is.

[gouki88]

Regardless of Smart’s comments, the Celtics’ bigger problem has been what happens when Tatum and/or Brown hit the bench. They have outscored opponents by 9.3 points per 100 possessions with both All-Stars on the court, but have deteriorated in other situations. Even staggering the two wings hasn’t helped much. The Celtics are getting bludgeoned by 20.4 points per 100 possessions with Tatum on the court, but not Brown, and by 9.3 points per 100 possessions with Brown on the court, but not Tatum. Over 130 minutes without Brown in the lineup this season, the Celtics have been destroyed by an incredible 59 points. Their net rating of -22.2 with him on the bench is unforgivable.

“Overall, I think that we relaxed and got lazy,” Udoka said. “Acted like the game was over.”

https://theathletic.com/2929332/2021/11/02/pressure-mounts-for-celtics-after-terrible-fourth-quarter-collapse-we-relaxed-and-got-lazy-acted-like-the-game-was-over/

Udoka doesn’t trust his reserves and fails to insert them appropriately, taxes our starters and it reflects in their performance, then takes a shot at them in the name of “accountability”. They played a high intensity game for close to 3 quarters of the game, it’s not relaxed and lazy, it’s tired and in need of a rest!

Tatum and Brown lead the league in MPG!

The reserves have been awful, but you trust that they’ll improve and figure out how to place them in great situations for them to thrive because you’re going to need them. Instead, he distrusts and tightens the rotation. Up 19 was a great occasion to build/test the reserves confidence by inserting a high energy player like Nesmith, pushing the pace with Pritchard, and having Kanter post up and try to gain extra possessions.

Udoka has to look at himself because he’s the main reason that this situation is what it is.

So essentially we've got Thibs 2.0, except he cannot coach..?

[Who]

I'd like to keep two of four players on the court at all times. Those 4 players are the two Jays, Schroder and Horford. They are our best offensive players. Horford stabilizes and facilitates the offense which takes pressure off less talented players. Schroder and the Jays our best creators. Plug the other guys around them.

[liam]

Smart is averaging 8.8 points per.