A simple question with a complex answer.
Even though Smart was a huge factor in our late season surge and played good minutes, he was really the 4th or 5th option on offense just about every time on the floor. The kid hardly even brought the ball up court much last year. Stevens knew early on with Smart that his elite-level defense was going to earn him significant PT, but his offensive skills weren't equally deserving. So, to offset, CBS parked him near the 3 point line and had him work on his jump shot.
Developing his jump shot will be the key to how successful he is in this league. We saw towards the end of the year that the ankle was a legit problem through the season and as it got better, he was considerably more explosive. He'll be able to drive to basket and generate FT's consistently in the NBA. He started doing it well towards the end of last year, and that will continue. What's gonna make the difference is how consistent that jumper becomes. If he becomes a 35-40 % 3-PT shooter and the rest of his game rounds out as it should, I think he can easily be an All-Star.
I don't think it even really matters if he stays at the 1 or moves to the 2. His passing skills and court vision were better than I expected last season. His basketball IQ and intangibles are sky-high and while his handle needs improvement, it's not awful. I think that versatility is good in the sense that he could play with a lot of other kinds of guards. If our roster forms in such a way that he moves to the 2, it's fine because with the improved shot he can play both on and off the ball pretty well.
Context matters when looking at Smart's rookie year. It's important to remember that of all rookies who saw big minutes last year, only us and Chicago (Mirotic), were really competing to win every game. When we traded Rondo and Green, I think people latched onto this idea that Smart, Young, Sully etc.. were gonna be playing 30 minutes a game and handed the keys to the offense so they could play through their mistakes but that just didn't happen. We made a playoff run, won some games and Marcus still managed to play a major role in that as a rookie. Some people just look at the stat line and think he had a mediocre year but that wasn't the case at all. It's really hard to score points when plays aren't really called for you. It's hard to get dimes when your not initiating the offense. He's was a rookie, if your trying to win games you can't center your offense around a guy that young.
We should be thrilled to have this kid. His defense is truly elite and as he grows into his game I think he'll have a legit shot at a DPOY of the year award or two and multiple All-NBA defensive teams. At the VERY least I think he can become a Tony Allen-like player with a better jump shot and a more well rounded offensive game. His ceiling is much, much higher than that. Something like a poor mans D-Wade with a better shot. And let's not forget, TA is one of the three most important players on a Memphis team that has competed for WC titles and who I'd like to think woulda at least made it to the final once if they were in the East. So if all Smart ever becomes is a better-on-offense version of TA, he could still be one of the key cogs in our next contender. But if he reaches his potential, he could be special. And I would put money on Smart putting in the work necessary to reach that level. His leadership, work ethic, tenacity, hustle and effort are nearly unparalleled from a rookie. When you combine that with his talent, the results could be spectacular.
