He'll never be an elite ball handler.  Never an elite shooter.  But he doesn't have to do that much on offense to earn PT.  Just a steady 14 points + elite defense will make him a + starter on the right squad.

Me too. It is frightening how little Smart can beat his man and get into the paint.

I am not concerned about the ability, but about how the ability translates to the NBA.

In college he was a driver. He drew a lot of fouls going to the hoop. He has just not gained a feel for the slight fakes and timing that drives take in the NBA.

I really do wonder if a summer break followed by a few confidence-boosting summer leagues will help him turn the corner in this area.

Is it just me, or I don't even see him try to attack as much as he did in college?

I don't know if I should be concerned, but I mean, I rarely see him even try to attack straight up.

Well I guess that means Marcus Smart is a bust.

since this scouting report has existed for so long. hopefully smart is the kind of guy that works at things to make him better and realize his flaws and want to improve on those.

I can't stand players that don't.

I don't understand the number of complaints about Smart on this blog. The guy is a (just turned) 21-year-old rookie. His greatest concern coming into the league was distance shooting, and he's put in a ton of work and gotten much better in a short period of time.

As far as his playmaking, quickness, and ball handling are concerned: I actually think he's already shown he is a willing passer with good vision and smarts. I also agree that he hasn't looked explosive. He is going to the hoop more lately, but not with nearly the same ferocity as he did in college. Part of that is learning the game, and part of that is that he's still probably feeling the after effects of that high ankle sprain, which is something that can linger for a long time.

Increasingly I think a good career comparison may end up to be Chauncey Billups. As some might remember, Billups was a gamer in college but fizzled in his rookie year. Pitino traded him away after something like 40 games. I distinctly remember thinking that he wasn't a playmaker and not an elite ball handler. Yet, look how his career ended up. Billups could never blow by people, but he became a tough as nails, strong, heady PG who could take and make big shots. That's kind of what I see Smart developing into, except that Smart has a better wingspan and is a much more terrifying defender, and probably will eventually prove more adept at finishing at the rim.

Until then, patience.