Smart says he still has not fully recovered from sprained ankle

[SHAQATTACK]

According to some of his more ardent supporters on CB, the bum ankle is hindering his offensive game ... yet somehow it's not hindering his defense. Hmmm ...

I think its hindering his defense.  I'm sure there are times he gets beaten because he can't switch directions quickly enough.  But two things: 1) ardent supporters of Smart would generally say that he has All-NBA defense potential, and that his offense is behind his defense, so because he's so good at defense (and he is), he can still look like a viable NBA player on that end even when nursing an injury.  Secondly, the primary offensive criticism of Smart is that he doesn't penetrate well, both in quality and quantity.  I don't see why you think it irrational to believe that a significant ankle injury could impact his ability to have the burst needed to drive to the rim while not affecting (as much) his ability to make a jump shot or move laterally on defense.

But what do the kids say?  Haters gonna hate, or something like that.

Putting aside your unnecessary sarcasm, I'll reiterate my point: I'm not disputing medical facts, just saying that based on my observations of Smart's more ardent supporters on CB, it seems like they're using his ankle injury as a convenient excuse for his lack of offensive production.

In other words, I'm questioning how a player with lingering effects of an ankle injury can (according to his supporters) play all facets of defense well—including leaping high to block shots (which requires explosiveness)—but be terrible on offense—not only is he not a threat to drive, he's not a threat to do much of anything on offense right now.

Just ...smh 

I don't understand. You're saying there's no truth to what I'm saying? Or that what I'm saying is silly? I'm asking an honest question: A lot of people are saying the injury is a HUGE detriment to his offense, yet the same injury is not at all affecting his defense, and I'm asking, How can that be?

Defense is not just lateral movement, and offense isn't just explosiveness. Smart can't find a way to contribute on offense besides driving to the hoop? Can he not take and make more jumpers? Can he not post up?

I didn't hear anyone say it's a HUGE detriment to his offense. But clearly it's affected his first step and jumping ability. His defensive instincts are what make him so great on that side of the ball, it's not freakish athleticism or length. It's affecting him on both ends, it's just he's so much better on defense that it isn't as much of an issue there.

I think Shaq is shaking his head because what you just said makes it seem like you don't know how the game works. It's really hard to contribute anything on offense when A) Your not the primary ball-handler, B) Your option #5 in just about every action the offense runs and C) No one passes you the ball. You can't just "take more shots" when you don't have the ball, and you don't want him to do that anyways. You want him to make good decisions about when to take and not take jump shots. He's done very well improving his shot selection this season, and that's what you wanna see. You can't just post-up either, you generally post up other guards on a designed action to exploit a mismatch while the defending big is drawn away from that post up, so without Stevens giving him the green light to do so, he's not just gonna post up whenever he wants to.

And y'know what, he's still finding ways to contribute without scoring. Smart has made numerous big stops on D, forced key turnovers that lead to easy buckets, been the first to a loose ball that changed the games momentum, he's been an above average rebounder for someone who sits at the 3pt line, and made clutch shots when it mattered the most. Since the ASG, Smarts averaged 9/3/3 as a defacto shooting guard who gets all of 6-8 shots a game. That's Tony Allen numbers, from a rookie, with TA caliber defense and an ankle injury.

We're 18-11 in the past 29 games. Stevens has pushed all the right buttons with this group. He has Smart playing a Tony Allen like role on a team seriously pushing for the playoffs which will allow him to excel where he's most comfortable and be slowly brought along on offense. Next year, he prob won't be option #5 anymore, and Smart will start to take the reins more. You can't let Smart swallow his lumps getting adjusted to being an NBA PG while also making the playoffs. He may even end up at the 2 spot but give the kid a break, hes a major reason we've played so well in the past few months, worst case scenario we have Tony Allen with a better jump shot. And that's still pretty dang good.

I'm sorry but what you just said makes it seem like you don't know how the game works.

Everything in bold is true.  And there is a reason for it.  The good offensive players get things drawn up for them.  The bad offensive players (like Smart) get nothing. 

Sorry but that's the way it is.

Well I totally disagree with everything you just said. 

Smart is one of the most skilled and bright young players the Celtics have had in quite a while.

Matter of fact his on court savvy.  and ability to make the correct play is what impresses me the most for a kid his age. 

He does so much of the detail playing for this team. 

We are very fortunate to have a player his calibre at point guard

[positivitize]

Smart's D is amazing. He is a velociraptor. There is no argument about this.

Offense wise, he's claimed that his ankle affects him. I choose to believe him. More important than his ankle, though, is how CBS wants to use Smart on offense. Smart's usage changed drastically after the Bonner-lovetap game. He went from a 3rd option to a 4th or 5th. Previous to that game, he'd had relatively free reign regarding what he wanted to do in the offense. He took a lot of spot up 3s, tried out his mid-range game, and yes--he even tried to penetrate on a bum ankle that hindered his quickness. Now (after the Bonner game), he only takes shots where he is wide open under the hoop when the defense misses a rotation, when it is late in the shot clock and he's somehow got the ball (happens rarely), and when the team is running on the fast break.

It's easy to say Smart's 0/3 and 3 points doesn't contribute to the Celtics' offense, but if you watch him out there, he is always in the right spot. He sprints to the corner 3 position and stretches the defense just by being there. He's not super mobile on offense, but when you are both already in your spot and a low priority option for most plays, it doesn't make sense to run through noman's land to get to another spot when the place you are already puts a good amount of pressure on the defense. Smart's campfire in the corner three spot stretches the defense and allows more established players (Turner, IT, Crowder, Olynyk) to get in the teeth of the defense and cause breakdowns/create looks. Putting Smart in the corner 3 makes perfect sense: he's a decent threat from 3 so the other team needs to guard him, but he's not so much of a threat that the team wants run him around in order to generate looks for him. If he gets the 3, he'll take it, but that's not the shot that CBS looks for each possession. Smart camping the corner 3 also allows him to preserve his energy so that he'll be able to keep up the same intensity on Defense. A 0/3, 3/4 FT, rookie Smart doesn't bother me if other guys are getting better looks due to Smart's role on offense. Especially if 2 of those 3 shots are late shot-clock bailout shots.

I think part of the problem is that ET (and Pressey) never pass the ball to Smart. ET seems convinced that once he gets within 15 feet of the hoop, no matter how many people who are defending him, he's the 1st,2nd and 3rd scoring option. He'll do nifty passes under the hoop to people like Bass, and he'll run PnR with Zeller, but he hardly ever looks to kick it to the corner 3, even if Smart is open. I think there are some point guard politics going on, and ET (the Celtics' current """star""") doesn't necessarily love that Smart is the heir apparent.

He'll have a bigger role on offense next year. I can wait for it. He's doing what is asked of him and he's doing a good job of it.

[rollie mass]

again marcus has an advantage over guards his strength and defensive skills, his lower body srength and upper allow him to get over the top,he bullys guards,draws charges and hams it up,--now common!!!!, on offense you have a quick guard on you without your first step or explosive power and these guards are not college players,then you got to beat them and then face the bigs and now your strength that served you well in college, less that explosiveness-also you got 40 new players ,lost your stars ,you play defense like no rookie and you got to learn how to run a pro offense-what is going on here is everybody nuts--he is a rookie-he is a rookie--be gratefull he is marcus smart-

[celtics2030]

WEAKNESSES

Solid athlete, but not spectacular. Not the quickest or most explosive guard ... Not likely to finish above the rim in traffic, but utilizes his athleticism well ... Uses hustle, brains and will power over sheer athletic prowess ... Lateral speed isn't the best ... Doesn't have a precise fit at either guard position. Undersized at the 2 and not a pure PG. A combo guard in every sense ... Can be a little too ball dominant at times. But that comes with the territory in high school when you're the star player ... Needs to learn how to run off of screens and play off the ball a little better, for times when he's asked to play the 2 position ...


I think Smart hasnt done the part of using hustle and brains and will power yet,  next year he should be better at that.

Sprain ankle is a tough one, if its severe, than coming back from it can be a scary thing, not physically but mentally.

[rollie mass]

quess he read this board and put some  numbers up-great game marcus,nice shooting ,great pass to sully-who should not been on the court in 4th-and kelly nice upfake take one dribble and take a jumper  or go strong to hoop instead of a thread the needle bounce pass-nice numbers for a rookie

[hwangjini_1]

quess he read this board and put some  numbers up-great game marcus,nice shooting ,great pass to sully-who should not been on the court in 4th-and kelly nice upfake take one dribble and take a jumper  or go strong to hoop instead of a thread the needle bounce pass-nice numbers for a rookie

rm, i missed the game but saw smart's stat line. impressive.

were his points from plans draw up by CBS or simply opportunities that rose up? what i mean is this, was smart by design intended to be more a part of the offense tonight?

[SHAQATTACK]

Even with a bum ankle he still took care of business tonight......all you tanking Philly fans

[Quetzalcoatl]

I wonder how many people have tried to bump the Smart v Peyton thread tonight

[Phil125]

I cringe whenever he has the ball on offense.   He really has no concept of how to do it yet.  I hear he's got a good head on his shoulders and I hope he learns a lot in the off season or his career in the NBA might be a short one.

[BDeCosta26]

According to some of his more ardent supporters on CB, the bum ankle is hindering his offensive game ... yet somehow it's not hindering his defense. Hmmm ...

I think its hindering his defense.  I'm sure there are times he gets beaten because he can't switch directions quickly enough.  But two things: 1) ardent supporters of Smart would generally say that he has All-NBA defense potential, and that his offense is behind his defense, so because he's so good at defense (and he is), he can still look like a viable NBA player on that end even when nursing an injury.  Secondly, the primary offensive criticism of Smart is that he doesn't penetrate well, both in quality and quantity.  I don't see why you think it irrational to believe that a significant ankle injury could impact his ability to have the burst needed to drive to the rim while not affecting (as much) his ability to make a jump shot or move laterally on defense.

But what do the kids say?  Haters gonna hate, or something like that.

Putting aside your unnecessary sarcasm, I'll reiterate my point: I'm not disputing medical facts, just saying that based on my observations of Smart's more ardent supporters on CB, it seems like they're using his ankle injury as a convenient excuse for his lack of offensive production.

In other words, I'm questioning how a player with lingering effects of an ankle injury can (according to his supporters) play all facets of defense well—including leaping high to block shots (which requires explosiveness)—but be terrible on offense—not only is he not a threat to drive, he's not a threat to do much of anything on offense right now.

Just ...smh 

I don't understand. You're saying there's no truth to what I'm saying? Or that what I'm saying is silly? I'm asking an honest question: A lot of people are saying the injury is a HUGE detriment to his offense, yet the same injury is not at all affecting his defense, and I'm asking, How can that be?

Defense is not just lateral movement, and offense isn't just explosiveness. Smart can't find a way to contribute on offense besides driving to the hoop? Can he not take and make more jumpers? Can he not post up?

I didn't hear anyone say it's a HUGE detriment to his offense. But clearly it's affected his first step and jumping ability. His defensive instincts are what make him so great on that side of the ball, it's not freakish athleticism or length. It's affecting him on both ends, it's just he's so much better on defense that it isn't as much of an issue there.

I think Shaq is shaking his head because what you just said makes it seem like you don't know how the game works. It's really hard to contribute anything on offense when A) Your not the primary ball-handler, B) Your option #5 in just about every action the offense runs and C) No one passes you the ball. You can't just "take more shots" when you don't have the ball, and you don't want him to do that anyways. You want him to make good decisions about when to take and not take jump shots. He's done very well improving his shot selection this season, and that's what you wanna see. You can't just post-up either, you generally post up other guards on a designed action to exploit a mismatch while the defending big is drawn away from that post up, so without Stevens giving him the green light to do so, he's not just gonna post up whenever he wants to.

And y'know what, he's still finding ways to contribute without scoring. Smart has made numerous big stops on D, forced key turnovers that lead to easy buckets, been the first to a loose ball that changed the games momentum, he's been an above average rebounder for someone who sits at the 3pt line, and made clutch shots when it mattered the most. Since the ASG, Smarts averaged 9/3/3 as a defacto shooting guard who gets all of 6-8 shots a game. That's Tony Allen numbers, from a rookie, with TA caliber defense and an ankle injury.

We're 18-11 in the past 29 games. Stevens has pushed all the right buttons with this group. He has Smart playing a Tony Allen like role on a team seriously pushing for the playoffs which will allow him to excel where he's most comfortable and be slowly brought along on offense. Next year, he prob won't be option #5 anymore, and Smart will start to take the reins more. You can't let Smart swallow his lumps getting adjusted to being an NBA PG while also making the playoffs. He may even end up at the 2 spot but give the kid a break, hes a major reason we've played so well in the past few months, worst case scenario we have Tony Allen with a better jump shot. And that's still pretty dang good.

I'm sorry but what you just said makes it seem like you don't know how the game works.

Everything in bold is true.  And there is a reason for it.  The good offensive players get things drawn up for them.  The bad offensive players (like Smart) get nothing. 

Sorry but that's the way it is.

When have I ever said he's a good offensive player? He's not. It was pretty clear when we drafted him that his D was superb and his offense needed work.

You don't seem to get what I'm saying. I'm not arguing that he's a good offensive player being mis-used, I'm saying he's a mediocre offensive player (as a 21 year old rookie combo guard) on a team trying to make the playoffs with other guys who have better offensive skills than Smart does. Turner, a guy who is USELESS without the ball in his hands, is a better option to run the offense if your trying to win games right now than Smart is. IT is far better at running the P&R, and like Turner (albeit less so) needs the ball in his hands to be successful. Bradley is a better, more consistent shooter than Smart (He's been with us for 5 years , he should be) so he gets a lot of good shot looks that come from set screens, pick/hand-offs, and quick curls that are called for him.

I'm saying that you guys shouldn't be expecting him to be giving much more on offense than he is. I understand that we're a team trying to make the playoffs and in order to do that, everyone needs to fit into a role that best serves the team and the players individual skill-set. Smart's role is to play his always excellent defense, not do too much on offense except stretch the floor and hit open shots, and to give his usual 110% effort that has clearly rubbed off on his teammates. That's it. My expectations for him are reasonable. Soon as it became apparent we were really going for the playoffs, Smarts offensive role diminished, and that's fine because he's not one of our best 3 offensive players. If we were the Lakers and were purposely losing for a higher pick and his production was the same id be the first to say he needs to do more. But we're not, and he doesn't. He needs to stick to his role that the coach gave him, do what he's best at, and the rest will come with time and hard work.

Someone who says "why doesn't he take more shots" or "why doesn't he post up" clearly doesn't understand that's not how it works. Guards don't post up without the green-light from the coach and an action that pulls the opposing big away from the rim. And you don't just "take more shots" when you share the floor with players who are better than you at having the ball in their hands and your on a team in a playoff chase. The kid is 21 years old, where do you guys get this idea he should be one of our best offensive players in his rookie year? I'm happy to see him stick to the things he's best at, and continue improving his jumper when he gets a good look.

Good lord, someone just said "if he doesn't improve his offense he'll be out of the league in a few years". Are you kidding me? Players that good on D as a rookie won't be out of the league anytime soon. I get that he was our highest draft pick in a while, but we're not a bottom 5 team that's just developing players. We're winning basketball games, and giving Smart the keys to the car isn't the way to make the playoffs. And BTW, funny how the kid led the team in scoring in the biggest game of the year. Get back to me at the end of the 2016-17 season and if he's still averaging 9/3/3 on 34% from 3 and doing nothing besides 3&D, I'll give you 10 TPs. Until then, appreciate him for staying within his given role.

[hwangjini_1]

Good post dbc. Tp.

[shrinkage36]

again marcus has anadvantage over guars his srength and defensive skills his loer body srength and upper allow him to get over the top,he bullys guards,draws charges and hams it up,--now common on offense you have a quick guard on you with out yourfirst step oe explosive power and these guards are not college players,now you got to beat them and then face the bigs and now your strength that served you well in college less that explosiveness-so you got 40new players ,lost your stars ,you play defense like no rookie and you got to learn how to run a pro offense-what is going on here is everybody nuts--he is a rookie-he is a rookie--be gratefull he is marcus smart-

I guess you didn't read any of the other posts talking about his role in the offense, and I'm certainly not defending his offensive skills. I do think he has a ways to go on offense, just like a lot of young guys. But to stay on the floor, you must do what the coaches ask of you, and apparently most people don't pay attention to his role on offense.

And people who say he doesn't have a quick first step, it's so funny to me. Because 95% of getting to the basket is via picks. And with screens/picks, you don't need a deadly first step. When Smart goes out there and misses 3 in a row, he's basically pulled. Anyone else does it, they stay in. And people do it all the time, I saw LeBron do it tonight.

If I were you guys, I'd start getting on board with Smart because he's ours, he's a rookie, and he's slowly getting used to everything NBA. Even a baby needs time to walk.

And as someone eluded to earlier, you can't develop a player AND try to make the playoffs. We have some solid young talent, just let them grow. Next year, we can find a shot blocker/ rim protector, and that should be it. The rest of this team can put up point, but the thing that will separate them will be their defense. Defense wins championships.

Last thing, Smart IS athletic and can and will finish in the lane via dunk next year. I've watched him for years, he can get up. He does need to shave a little weight, this off season is crucial to his development, I think you will see an amazing player next season.

[albas89]

I know it's not really relevant, but I just came across this video of Marcus Smart for the first time and wow... he really pulls off some crazy dunks out there!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuyD3JOwnug
Now I really believe Smart when he says he hasn't fully recovered from that sprained ankle yet... I mean, the guy pulled off a 360 windmill, really??!!