Send IT back to the bench and start Smart

[Evantime34]

I prefer moving Smart into the start lineup next to IT, not instead of him.

Lately Smart has been running the second team offense, which moves Turner off the ball and makes him useless. Moving Smart into the starting lineup allows Turner to run the offense and adds more shooting to the second unit with Bradley.

Long term, it might actually be better for Smart to come off the bench now. They are allowing him to run the offense coming in the game as a back up 1, and the more he has the ball in his hands the more comfortable he will be on offense.

[GreenWarrior]

i don't like any line up that includes AB, Crowder, and Smart. i think they're redundant and it doesn't benefit us in anyway. the defensive advantage it gives us is outweighed by the struggles it creates offensively.

in an ideal situation if we were so inclined to start all 3 together Crowder would have to play the 4 to get the best offense out of those 3.

I also can't get behind IT starting, saying he's our best player is laughable. he is our best scorer... big difference. if his scoring makes him our "best player" then we should be a lot better than we are, right? otherwise we're saying defense doesn't matter at all.

Crowder has been our best player this season...and that's freaking horrible!

like i mentioned previously, we can shuffle this line up all we want but once you solve one problem you're faced with another. it's like putting out a fire with a squirt gun.

just remember David Lee is not a firefighter... or a bucket of water... or a fire extinguisher...

 

[Tr1boy]

i don't like any line up that includes AB, Crowder, and Smart. i think they're redundant and it doesn't benefit us in anyway. the defensive advantage it gives us is outweighed by the struggles it creates offensively.

in an ideal situation if we were so inclined to start all 3 together Crowder would have to play the 4 to get the best offense out of those 3.

I also can't get behind IT starting, saying he's our best player is laughable. he is our best scorer... big difference. if his scoring makes him our "best player" then we should be a lot better than we are, right? otherwise we're saying defense doesn't matter at all.

Crowder has been our best player this season...and that's freaking horrible!

like i mentioned previously, we can shuffle this line up all we want but once you solve one problem you're faced with another. it's like putting out a fire with a squirt gun.

just remember David Lee is not a firefighter... or a bucket of water... or a fire extinguisher...

I agree. Crowder is a shorter Carroll.  Nice player to have on your team. But you in trouble if this is your best player on the team

[ssspence]

It's amusing how folks feel like this is some sort of solution. Best argument I can see here is that less minutes for IT might keep him from breaking into 1000 pieces. Dude has been doing yeomen's work. He's so under appreciated on this blog, it's baffling.

For those obsessed with Smart -- have you consider that NOT playing him too many minutes might be too his benefit?

[PickNRoll]

Absolutely agree with the OP.  Defense is our calling card.  Smart sets the tone and the intensity level from the jump.  With Smart on the court, our defensive rating is 95.7, essentially the best team in the league.  With Isaiah it jumps up over 100.

There is no rule that says your best scorer has to start.  Stevens figured this out last year and I'm sure he will go back to it soon.  The main problem now is that Crowder has been great, but Smart needs help with ballhandling duties in the form of Turner.  Crazy as it is, you might have to start Smart, Turner and Crowder.  They can all guard 1-3 with only the fastest PG's causing real problems -- in that case you lean on AB more.

[GreenWarrior]

He's so under appreciated on this blog, it's baffling.

heh! I think he's overrated.

[spikelovetheCelts]

We miss Phil Pressey more than we think. Hopefully he can come back after we do a 2 for 1.

[PickNRoll]

We miss Phil Pressey more than we think. Hopefully he can come back after we do a 2 for 1.

Misspelled "Paul Pierce".   

[showtime]

Yeah lets sit the guy who can get you 30 a game and has no help, and play the guy who can get 6 on a good night, if he shoots 12 times!!  Marcus Smart is quite possibly the most over-rated Celtic of all time, and that's saying a lot.

[PickNRoll]

Yeah lets sit the guy who can get you 30 a game and has no help, and play the guy who can get 6 on a good night, if he shoots 12 times!!  Marcus Smart is quite possibly the most over-rated Celtic of all time, and that's saying a lot.

Doesn't matter if he scores 60 a game if the team loses.  Smart has an unbelievable impact on games that doesn't show in box scores.  Sure, he'll shoot 2-7, but he could literally win you 10 possessions on steals, deflections, hustle plays, shot clock violations, jump balls, closeouts, perfect rotations, taking charges... you name it. 

It's interesting because lineups with IT are about 5 points better offensively.  Lineups with Smart are about 5 points better defensively.  So which would you rather start the game with?  I'll take gritty, aggressive defense and a focus on ball movement (because there is no go-to scorer) every time.

[showtime]

 I'll take the better player, which is Thomas,by a large margin.

[PickNRoll]

I'll take the better player, which is Thomas,by a large margin.

Thomas IS the better player.  But you don't necessarily maximize your chance of winning by starting him.

[GreenWarrior]

 I knew we got rid of ricky davis too early.

[Rosco917]

IT would be a nice addition to any team in the league...coming off the bench. He's a nice spark, because he is instant points. A pace changer, the game quickens up when he's inserted, and that has to be adjusted to by opposing teams.

As great as a defender as Marcus Smart is, he's really not a naturally gifted offensive player, he's quite immature. Besides taking off balance 2's, and generally some poor shots, Marcus tries to play like he's still in college, he has yet to figure he needs to add finesse to his game. He's just not a stand still explosive leaper. He needs a floater, a jump hook, a fall away. he needs to master the up fake, and get the defender off balance and in the air. He hasn't figured out just how big, strong, and long the NBA is yet.

Only one way for him to learn, and that's to play. Give him enough rope to see if he learns... or hangs himself.

[guava_wrench]

IT would be a nice addition to any team in the league...coming off the bench. He's a nice spark, because he is instant points. A pace changer, the game quickens up when he's inserted, and that has to be adjusted to by opposing teams.

As great as a defender as Marcus Smart is, he's really not a naturally gifted offensive player, he's quite immature. Besides taking off balance 2's, and generally some poor shots, Marcus tries to play like he's still in college, he has yet to figure he needs to add finesse to his game. He's just not a stand still explosive leaper. He needs a floater, a jump hook, a fall away. he needs to master the up fake, and get the defender off balance and in the air. He hasn't figured out just how big, strong, and long the NBA is yet.

Only one way for him to learn, and that's to play. Give him enough rope to see if he learns... or hangs himself.

I think they are giving them that rope. That is why we see him getting swallowed up at the rim more frequently this season.