Yes or No? Marcus Smart Our Next Superstar?

[Pucaccia]

I say Marcus Smart will be our next Superstar. Not just because he is impressive in summer league. It's because:
1. He has a winning presence.
2. He is willing to work hard and get better.
3. He loves and studies basketball.
4. His grit and blue collar work ethic rubs off on all the other players.

I love everything about this kid.

[PhoSita]

I really don't see him ever being a superstar.


However, I think he has a real chance of putting up 15 pts 5 reb 5 ast 2 stl on something like 42/35/70 shooting with a handful of trips to the line each game.

That would make him a very valuable player, so long as his defense continues to be excellent.  Especially if he's doing that at the shooting guard position.

[number_n9ne]

I really don't see him ever being a superstar.

I agree, I'm not sure about superstar, but I think he has the potential to be our next perennial All-Star. I love Smart, hope he keeps developing. I'm pretty optimistic about all the young talent we have and I hope some of them really take off. I hope one of our picks hits in the top 10 next year and we get ourselves a nice lotto center and we can just continue to develop while creating a winning culture. Ideal scenario for me.

[jbpats]

he'll be a good player, but superstar? No... Thats asking a lot out of a player.

[jaketwice]

I don't think Marcus Smart has enough self-control to make any kind of major splash in the NBA. He often seems to be moving at the wrong pace for the game. I don't see that kind of helter skelter approach as having been very effective for many players. Iverson could do it - but he was an otherworldly talent that Marcus Smart just is not.

[Tr1boy]

Maybe not superstar but captain yes x100. Also capable to come through in the clutch

Defensive anchor(for a guard)

[droopdog7]

I'm still just hoping he'll be a long-term starter.  Obviously he is a good defender but that's a role player to me.  Still needs to find a niche offensively.  And quite frankly, I am shocked at how un-explosive he is. 

So my projection is still that he'll be a role player-defensive specialist type.

[PhoSita]

I don't think Marcus Smart has enough self-control to make any kind of major splash in the NBA. He often seems to be moving at the wrong pace for the game. I don't see that kind of helter skelter approach as having been very effective for many players. Iverson could do it - but he was an otherworldly talent that Marcus Smart just is not.

Strange, because one of the things that has struck me about Smart from the beginning is that he seems very composed and in control for a young player.  Yes, he sometimes overdribbles into pressure, and he sometimes presses too much, but I think that's because he's aggressive, not out of control.

Smart is light years ahead of where Bradley was in his first couple of years in that regard.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I don't think he'll reach superstardom, but I won't discount it either. His impact defensively is legit, and if he can establish himself as a pick and roll player with a 3-ball he can become very dangerous.

He needs to begin driving more though and get to the line, that's the key to being a superstar.

[Ilikesports17]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiBZcATTn5U

to the Smart haters.

“We didn’t open up his chest and look at his heart, we didn’t look at that."

[PhoSita]

And quite frankly, I am shocked at how un-explosive he is. 

Then you must not have read any scouting reports on him coming out of college.

[manl_lui]

I sure hope so

[BDeCosta26]

I say Marcus Smart will be our next Superstar. Not just because he is impressive in summer league. It's because:
1. He has a winning presence.
2. He is willing to work hard and get better.
3. He loves and studies basketball.
4. His grit and blue collar work ethic rubs off on all the other players.

I love everything about this kid.

I'm like the leader of the Marcus Smart fan club, and I love all those attributes about him. But there's a whole lot of guys with those qualities who are lucky to have any semblance of an NBA career. Smart is just supremely talented, and I think due to the ankle injury and the role Stevens developed for him in his rookie season made some of our fans forget how high his potential really is.

What a guy does in summer league really means very little. He should dominate those games. But he should dominate those games because he has dominant potential. But I think we're getting a glimpse of what Smart can look like if he hits his ceiling. He can generate 20 PPG because he's very good at generating FT attempts. He's a good enough ball handler to be the primary initiator on offense, and even though we already knew he was an ELITE level defensive prospect, when you see that together with such a well-rounded offensive game (Thanks to his MUCH improved jump shot), you walk away from watching that game like "Omg, that guy could become one of the most versatile, well-rounded guards in this league". But on top of that, he has elite level intangibles on both sides of the ball.

There's a whole lot of people around here who would certainly include Smart AND other assets in a trade to get Nerlens Noel. I totally get why. But, depending on what else happens this summer and how Stevens goes forward with our offense, I could very much see a scenario where literally no one would even consider a straight up 1 for 1 trade of those guys and Be saying "Hinkie needs to give us more than just a "defensive role player" like Noel to get Marcus Smart. Especially with Okafor there now, that's very possible.

[droopdog7]

And quite frankly, I am shocked at how un-explosive he is. 

Then you must not have read any scouting reports on him coming out of college.

Not specifically no; just celtic fans comparing him to Westbrook and Dwayne Wade, which is quite laughable now.

[PhoSita]

There's a whole lot of people around here who would certainly include Smart AND other assets in a trade to get Nerlens Noel. I totally get why. But, depending on what else happens this summer and how Stevens goes forward with our offense, I could very much see a scenario where literally no one would even consider a straight up 1 for 1 trade of those guys and Be saying "Hinkie needs to give us more than just a "defensive role player" like Noel to get Marcus Smart. Especially with Okafor there now, that's very possible.

My goal would be to wait for Hinkie to arrive at the conclusion that Noel can't play with Okafor and Embiid long term and make him a major offer that doesn't include Smart.

Smart and Noel together would give us the basis of a very good defensive team.  Add a wing defender / shooter along the lines of Ariza or Carroll and some solid two way players at PG and PF and we'd have something.