this game put marcus in perspective

[Dino Pitino]

Last seven games, 17-34 on threes.

Already knew he had All-Defensive potential.
Now it looks like he has All-NBA potential.
Time to change his status to Untouchable.

[moiso]

Last seven games, 17-34 on threes.

Already knew he had All-Defensive potential.
Now it looks like he has All-NBA potential.
Time to change his status to Untouchable.

Let's not get carried away based on a hot streak, but he looks awesome.  Put the ball in his hands and watch his assists go way up too.

[Vox_Populi]

I wish he was more confident running the pick and roll. He's strong enough to get where he wants, just needs to be more decisive in the lane. Oh, well. It comes with time.

[straightouttabahstun]

I'm tellin ya, the kid just needs more touches. When Stevens gives him the complete keys to the second unit (hopefully first one day), he's gonna put up some serious All Star numbers.

[KeepRondo]

I wish he was more confident running the pick and roll. He's strong enough to get where he wants, just needs to be more decisive in the lane. Oh, well. It comes with time.

I disagree completely. His problem at times is being too decisive when driving. When he puts his head down and charges into players is when he seldom scores. He needs more poise in the lane and better body control to finish.

He had a nice run of games where he was pulling up early or finding better angles, but the last couple of games he's been forcing his drives. The last drive against Baines, you could see that one developing. Marcus decided he was going to take it hard at the defense and through Baines but he ended up way out of control.

It's not that I don't think Smart can take it hard at the rim, but if it's not there, he doesn't change up. Lack of poise. Lack of body control. Probably just needs more reps.

[SHAQATTACK]

He needs more minutes and games .  Injuries killed his development.   And take the Lakers rookies they play huge minutes every game.  Marcus needs steady minutes .

He should be in better form by end of season.

[Vox_Populi]

I wish he was more confident running the pick and roll. He's strong enough to get where he wants, just needs to be more decisive in the lane. Oh, well. It comes with time.

I disagree completely. His problem at times is being too decisive when driving. When he puts his head down and charges into players is when he seldom scores. He needs more poise in the lane and better body control to finish.

He had a nice run of games where he was pulling up early or finding better angles, but the last couple of games he's been forcing his drives. The last drive against Baines, you could see that one developing. Marcus decided he was going to take it hard at the defense and through Baines but he ended up way out of control.

It's not that I don't think Smart can take it hard at the rim, but if it's not there, he doesn't change up. Lack of poise. Lack of body control. Probably just needs more reps.

Maybe decisive is the wrong word, I didn't mean just in regards to trying to score. I just don't like when he runs a pick and roll and then passes the ball to the wing after barely making progress. The defense hadn't shifted at all.

[crimson_stallion]

I think it's getting blown out of proportion.

Smart is becoming much more consistent - it feels like instead of one solid offensive game out of five, he's having 3 solid offensive games out of five.

The real standout performances (e.g. 15 PPG +) are still pretty rare though, and I don't think he's shown enough flashes of brilliance to yet suggest that he could be a star player.

I think we just need to give him time and evaluate him slowly but surely as he gains experience.  I think Smart is going to be a longer term project, and if he does break out it might not be for another 2 or 3 years.

I'm pretty skeptical on him ever becoming better than a fringe all-star though.  That said, I would be pretty happy if he became that

[crimson_stallion]

I'm tellin ya, the kid just needs more touches. When Stevens gives him the complete keys to the second unit (hopefully first one day), he's gonna put up some serious All Star numbers.

I'm not so sure about that.

I could see him being in the 17/6/5 range, which is IMHO not enough to get you into an All-Star game in an Eastern Conference filled with so many star guards.  Not unless you get gifted a free All-Star pass due to being on a really good team (e.g. Korver, Teague, Horford, Millsap). 

 

[Dino Pitino]

Last seven games, 17-34 on threes.

Already knew he had All-Defensive potential.
Now it looks like he has All-NBA potential.
Time to change his status to Untouchable.

Let's not get carried away based on a hot streak, but he looks awesome.  Put the ball in his hands and watch his assists go way up too.

I hear what you're saying, I usually don't take small samples seriously, but this isn't so much a hot streak as a revelation that he's definitely not going to suck or be below average on offense. If he can already take 5 threes a game and hit 50 percent of them for seven games, then his shot isn't irreparably flawed and he's probably going to be able to hit them at a pretty good rate over the long haul. If he provides better than average offense plus his level of defense, that adds up to All-NBA potential. Meaning, instead of thinking he'd have zero chance to develop into a top 15 overall player, I now think he's got a small shot at it.

[Celtics18]

Not long ago when Marcus was 19% on threes, there was a thread on here imploring him to stop shooting threes.

Personally, I wasn't panicking about Marcus' three point jump shot.  He'll have some tough stretches again this season, but I seriously doubt he is a below .200 three point shooter.

I fully expect him to even out as a better than .333 three point shooter for his career.

Marcus Smart is a solid shooter.  I don't doubt that.  Keep shooting them, Marcus!!!

[kozlodoev]

Last seven games, 17-34 on threes.

Already knew he had All-Defensive potential.
Now it looks like he has All-NBA potential.
Time to change his status to Untouchable.

Let's not get carried away based on a hot streak, but he looks awesome.  Put the ball in his hands and watch his assists go way up too.

I hear what you're saying, I usually don't take small samples seriously, but this isn't so much a hot streak as a revelation that he's definitely not going to suck or be below average on offense. If he can already take 5 threes a game and hit 50 percent of them for seven games, then his shot isn't irreparably flawed and he's probably going to be able to hit them at a pretty good rate over the long haul. If he provides better than average offense plus his level of defense, that adds up to All-NBA potential. Meaning, instead of thinking he'd have zero chance to develop into a top 15 overall player, I now think he's got a small shot at it.

The scoring will go down as soon as the unsustainable conversion of three pointer stops. He's still shown nothing offensively outside of chucking threes. I mean, over that most recent streak, he's shot 40% from two, and  taken seven fewer two pointers than three pointers.

We're still on the stage where he's proving that he doesn't belong on the bench (also, not getting torched by Reggie Jackson would help with that).

[Celtics18]

Last seven games, 17-34 on threes.

Already knew he had All-Defensive potential.
Now it looks like he has All-NBA potential.
Time to change his status to Untouchable.

Let's not get carried away based on a hot streak, but he looks awesome.  Put the ball in his hands and watch his assists go way up too.

I hear what you're saying, I usually don't take small samples seriously, but this isn't so much a hot streak as a revelation that he's definitely not going to suck or be below average on offense. If he can already take 5 threes a game and hit 50 percent of them for seven games, then his shot isn't irreparably flawed and he's probably going to be able to hit them at a pretty good rate over the long haul. If he provides better than average offense plus his level of defense, that adds up to All-NBA potential. Meaning, instead of thinking he'd have zero chance to develop into a top 15 overall player, I now think he's got a small shot at it.

The scoring will go down as soon as the unsustainable conversion of three pointer stops. He's still shown nothing offensively outside of chucking threes. I mean, more than half of his shots are threes, and over the most recent hot streak, he's been converting 2s at a worse rate than 3s.

Sure, 50% on threes is "unsustainable," but so was below 20%.

He's most likely to settle in as an average to slightly above average three point shooter.

Young guards generally aren't known for their efficiency.  It must be remembered that Marcus is still only twenty-one years old. 

He's gonna be a good one.

[kozlodoev]

Sure, 50% on threes is "unsustainable," but so was below 20%.

He's most likely to settle in as an average to slightly above average three point shooter.

Sure, he shot 30% from three last season, and he'll probably shoot around 30% this season. There's a long way to go from that to average.

I was watching the game on and off yesterday, but it seems every time I sat down the front of the TV, Marcus was either lollygagging bringing the ball up the floor, making a bad decision offensively, or getting killed on the other end of the floor. I was surprised he had 17 points when it was all said and done, but it looks like that was just the product of hitting a handful of threes.

[Celtics18]

Sure, 50% on threes is "unsustainable," but so was below 20%.

He's most likely to settle in as an average to slightly above average three point shooter.

Sure, he shot 30% from three last season, and he'll probably shoot around 30% this season. There's a long way to go from that to average.

I was watching the game on and off yesterday, but it seems every time I sat down the front of the TV, Marcus was either lollygagging bringing the ball up the floor, making a bad decision offensively, or getting killed on the other end of the floor. I was surprised he had 17 points when it was all said and done, but it looks like that was just the product of hitting a handful of threes.

He didn't shoot 30% last season; he shot 33%.  There's a significant difference.  Considering his awful start shooting the ball from deep this season, I don't expect him to get back to that number.  If he can get to 30 by the end of 2015-16, I'll consider that a success.

With more reps and more confidence, I still think he'll be better than that moving forward.  His stroke looks good.

Time will tell.