Smart is the key

[konkmv]

I expect without Turner smart to make a big jump in scoring production...  13p 4r 5as 2st is something he can give of the bench... That will boost his confidence and help the team a to improve more

[Celtics4ever]

If he does not I think trader Danny may go into action.

[CFAN38]

With a another year of development and the loss of Turner I expect Smart to match his playoff stats from last season in the regular season. 32min 12pt 4.5rb 3apg seems like reasonable expectations. One wrinkle to his game which I would love to see exploited and it was touched upon on the playoffs is posting up. With the teams ability to play two 3pt shooting bigs (combo of Horford, KO or Jerebko) allowing Smart to bully smaller guards in the paint will be a easy way to get to the FT line. 

[dannyboy35]

I've been saying since he entered the nba, he needs more in game reps at pg. it's been a lot of wasted opportunity with him in my opinion. I'd usually think this would be the yer but not with Stevens calling the shots. I'm not confident he'll be given the chances. This is a huge bummer for me. Both have responsibility in this for sure between him and Olynyk but I really believe they'd be better players coming in and more valuable assets if they had more in game reps under their belts. I'll believe it when I see it.

[TheSundanceKid]

This is going to be a big year for him. I'm hoping he gets the reps as a ball handler over Rozier so we can see what he can do. Marcus has shown a lot of promise whenever he has been on the ball but it's small sample sizes. It would be huge for us if he took on that role though

[Clench123]

I have a very good feeling about Smart this coming season.  We may have a star on our hands, folks.

[otherdave]

Agreed.  Also hope Terry gets/earns minutes.  How would these two play together?  Not sure IT gets resigned by Celts in summer of 2018.

[walker834]

Smart and Brown are the two main reasons I am excited for this team.  Isaiah and Horford are the now and Danny may decide to build a team that way with an additional star but I think ultimately Smart and Brown are just as important here.

It would take an awful lot for me to go all in with Isaiah and Horford and deal Smart or Brown.  I think that isn't overly wise.

[RJ87]

I expect without Turner smart to make a big jump in scoring production... 13p 4r 5as 2st is something he can give of the bench... That will boost his confidence and help the team a to improve more

On what type of shooting though? I think the real way to tell whether or not Marcus is making progress is by his shooting percentages. If he can crack and maintain 40% shooting from the field, I'll see that as development.

[TheSundanceKid]

Smart and Brown are the two main reasons I am excited for this team.  Isaiah and Horford are the now and Danny may decide to build a team that way with an additional star but I think ultimately Smart and Brown are just as important here.

It would take an awful lot for me to go all in with Isaiah and Horford and deal Smart or Brown.  I think that isn't overly wise.

Spot on, I couldn't agree more. It's absolutely right that we use IT and Horford as our core right now because they are helping create an environment of winning for the young guys and imo could take us back to contender level. However in 3 years I fully expect Brown and Smart to be the core of the team, possibly along with another of the Nets picks if we select them. Nor does that mean that Horford and IT will not be around for long. I could see IT going back to that 6th man role in 2-3 years if it becomes clear that we can win championships that way. Let's say that next summer we don't get a star and we decide to use the cap space to extend IT, and possibly Bradley too, which would help minimise their cap hit in future years. Suddenly it doesn't feel so bad paying IT that money to be our 6th man, an elite one at that. All our growth would be internal but we'd have a fantastic mix of players entering their prime and others just passing the peak.

[Snakehead]

Smart and Brown are the two main reasons I am excited for this team.  Isaiah and Horford are the now and Danny may decide to build a team that way with an additional star but I think ultimately Smart and Brown are just as important here.

It would take an awful lot for me to go all in with Isaiah and Horford and deal Smart or Brown.  I think that isn't overly wise.

I like all four guys but I do agree with you a lot.

I think Brown can contribute more than people think this year because the things he will be able to chip in on right away are big needs for the team.  And of course Smart is ready to make a jump and he will have his chance.  I am very excited.  Really high on Smart and I see him making a big leap if he cleans up his shooting because everything else he does on offense is pretty underrated and I think his feel is growing by the day on that side of the floor.

[CelticPride2016]

Smart and Brown are the two main reasons I am excited for this team.  Isaiah and Horford are the now and Danny may decide to build a team that way with an additional star but I think ultimately Smart and Brown are just as important here.

It would take an awful lot for me to go all in with Isaiah and Horford and deal Smart or Brown.  I think that isn't overly wise.

I like all four guys but I do agree with you a lot.

I think Brown can contribute more than people think this year because the things he will be able to chip in on right away are big needs for the team.  And of course Smart is ready to make a jump and he will have his chance.  I am very excited.  Really high on Smart and I see him making a big leap if he cleans up his shooting because everything else he does on offense is pretty underrated and I think his feel is growing by the day on that side of the floor.

This is the best part of having Brad Stevens instead of Doc who seemed fixated on running players into the ground. Stevens likes to see which players complement each other. As long as everyone on the bench buys in, meaning they are ready to contribute without notice, we are a very talented and stacked team.

If Rozier, Olynyk, and Smart are improved and Brown can give a gritty top three pick rookie year, add them to proven vets Isaiah, Bradley, Crowder, Amir and Horford, and we are a top team, period. Half of the rotation is probably wide open or competitive.

Smart needs to take more two pointers and drives to the hoop. He needs to let his offense come to him. It will be very interesting to see if he has gotten better at shooting. I am not too worried because he is good at free throws. I do think he is good at driving to the hoop, hitting free throws and still has an extremely high ceiling. I do take into account he is young and has had injuries. If Rozier has advanced to his next level, then we are in excellent shape. I didn't mention Jerebko and some other guys. Jerebko is an asset. I think Hunter, Mickey, and others are unproven and not worth thinking about unless they emerge.

I forgot Gerald Green.

We are stacked 1-15 as long as Young is waived or at least 1-13 and Danny has it set up so that over the next year or two there will be zero dead wood on the roster. That helps with trades and stamina.

[Snakehead]

This is the best part of having Brad Stevens instead of Doc who seemed fixated on running players into the ground. Stevens likes to see which players complement each other. As long as everyone on the bench buys in, meaning they are ready to contribute without notice, we are a very talented and stacked team.

Good post.  On the Doc point, I would say I have become somewhat of a Doc defender on this board given the criticism and hate many can throw at him.  I think he's good but not great.  The thing that keeps him from being a really great coach is he is a method type of coach who gets set in his ways and system, over the best kind of coach in the NBA which adapts to their roster.  There have been a lot of successful, long time coaches that are more method than adaptable and they can do other great things for a team (IMO Doc's strength is as a motivator and manager of personalities) so I don't totally discount them, but I think it is not as good of an approach.

If you look at Pop, there's lots of talk about their "Spurs system" but in reality the team has gone from playing fast to playing slow depending on the make up of the team any given year.  There is a general way they play but they adapt.  I would say Stevens is very similar.  There was a question posed to him in the Chris Mannix interview where he was asked how he sees Horford fitting into his system and his response was, paraphrased, it's my job to work out a system around a talented player like Horford.  For him, I think it is defense first and hustle and then I could see him adapting anything else in the gameplan depending on who he has on a team.

The combinations thing is a big example of that at play.  He tries to maximize players ability by controlling their weaknesses and strengths with the line up.  Putting Olynyk out there with someone like Smart who has shooting issues so there is spacing for example.

[vjcsmoke]

Smart has to shoot better and his shot selection needs to improve.  Of course his court awareness and passing accuracy also need to improve.  He needs to become a more consistent player so Stevens can justify putting him on the court more.  In other words, Smart needs to kick it on to the next level.  But we see he has the innate talent to do so, the question is will he reach that tantalizing potential?

I expect without Turner smart to make a big jump in scoring production... 13p 4r 5as 2st is something he can give of the bench... That will boost his confidence and help the team a to improve more

On what type of shooting though? I think the real way to tell whether or not Marcus is making progress is by his shooting percentages. If he can crack and maintain 40% shooting from the field, I'll see that as development.

Good question.  I'd expect at least 45-35-75 for Marcus to be considered an acceptable/good shooter.  BTW that's around Avery Bradley percentages.

If Marcus shoots closer to 50-40-80, that would be a giant leap forward on what would be a breaking out/star season.

[CelticsJG]

Smart is a key role player unproven he is something else.