Rozier will be better than Smart (and might be already)

[Vermont Green]

On the basketball IQ thing, I think Smart gets perceived as taking "bad shots" but it is kind of a chicken and egg thing.  They are not really bad shots from a basketball IQ standpoint, I suspect Coach Stevens is telling him to take shots when they are there.  The problem is that he is such a bad shooter right now that he makes some of those theoretical good shots look like bad shots.

I actually think Smart has really good court IQ or what ever you want to call it.  You see it in his passing, rebounding, and team defense.  Last game, Smart was 3 for 8 think, or 37.5%, about his season average.  But with just one more make, he is 4 for 8 and wow, a pretty good shooter.  I think he is really that close.  It is like the baseball player who needs one more hit a week to become a 0.280 hitter vs. a 0.250 hitter.

If Marcus starts making that one more shot each game, he will look a whole lot smarter.

BTW, I like Rozier too.  He is really coming along.  I see no reason to worry about who is or might be better unless we get to a point where we can only sign one or something like that.

[tankcity!]

One is a role player, the other has the upside to be more. I already laid out Smart's defensive stats. He's an overrated defender imo, but apparently I wasn't allowed to use stats because they are misleading...I trust Brad. Smart is better right now, not sure how long that will last though. Rozier has a chance, and I do believe he will eventually jump Smart. He just improves in every facet of his game, and I don't see much improvement from Smart since his rookie year. His handles are tighter, that's for sure, but his usage rate this year is higher and he is playing more pick and roll. He had a couple of good assist games, let's see if he can keep that up.

[positivitize]

One of Terry Rozier's Best Games To Date:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xCcmXSzYF8

One of Marcus Smart's Best Games To Date:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D5iBo8Yrlg

(spoiler: Smart's was during the playoffs and Rozier's was during Summer League)

[Surferdad]

One is a role player, the other has the upside to be more. I already laid out Smart's defensive stats. He's an overrated defender imo, but apparently I wasn't allowed to use stats because they are misleading...I trust Brad. Smart is better right now, not sure how long that will last though. Rozier has a chance, and I do believe he will eventually jump Smart. He just improves in every facet of his game, and I don't see much improvement from Smart since his rookie year. His handles are tighter, that's for sure, but his usage rate this year is higher and he is playing more pick and roll. He had a couple of good assist games, let's see if he can keep that up.

Beg to differ on a couple of points, not just with you but with other posters on this thread.  I think Smart is a better defender than Rozier because he can guard multiple positions and can use his bulk to defend.  Rozier can't do either.  Smart can also impact the game in ways that I have rarely seen from Rozier such as crashing the boards and giving up his body to dive for loose balls.  Not saying Rozier can't, or hasn't, but this is Smart's forte and he is building his reputation on this.  Also, you don't think Smart has improved this season in some important ways, such as passing??  I see no evidence that Rozier will overtake Smart.

[jambr380]

I agree with some other posters here. Smart is clearly an impact player now, but may not improve much beyond what he already offers (which is already a lot). Rozier had a pretty nothing rookie year and has shown clear improvement in his shooting and decisiveness this year. If he continues on this trajectory, he could very well pass Smart and become a very good starting guard.

I think we should all be happy that we have both of these guys coming off the bench - there is a lot to be excited about in regards to our guard depth.

[Ilikesports17]

Rozier continues to strike me as a decent-not-great backup combo guard.  He's a solid guy to have in the rotation, but won't blow you away with any particular facet of his game. 

Smart's skillset is characterized by extremes in a way that Rozier's is not.  Smart is a very effective, intense, and versatile defender who brings an intangible element of bravado, guile, and ruthless competitiveness on the floor with him.  He's also a trainwreck as a scorer, who manages to avoid Rondoishness on that end of the floor by firing away when he gets an open opportunity rather than deferring and overdribbling.


Basically, I think Rozier can have a long career as a backup in this league.  Smart has much higher upside (along the lines of TA in Memphis), but also could easily be out of the league if an injury takes his lateral movement down a notch or prevents him from playing with 100% hustle all the time.

Eh, I disagree with the injury comment with Smart. Smart's elite defense is predicated on elite positioning ability, physicality, and an incredibly advanced BBIQ, especially defensively.

His lateral movement is already a step below someone like AB, but he stays in front of defenders by having a very well-rounded ability to anticipate and read the offensive player's movements.

I agree with the Terry analysis. I see him as a Mo Williams/DJ Augustine off the bench backup point guard type, which is perfectly acceptable given his draft ranking.

Smarts a defensive freak. He has all that positioning anticipation and quick hands but hes also an athletic freak.

Smarts not explosive vertically and hes not quick with the ball so his athleticism gets discounted, but side-side hes elite.

His lane agility times were better than Chris Paul and John Wall.

[greenrunsdeep41]

Cool, what is your point other than to try to rile up Smart fans? They are both on our team. Smart is a good player, a winner. If Rozier is as good/better than him.. Awesome. Thankfully they are both celtics. Im confused what the point is?

[mahcus smaht]

Cool, what is your point other than to try to rile up Smart fans? They are both on our team. Smart is a good player, a winner. If Rozier is as good/better than him.. Awesome. Thankfully they are both celtics. Im confused what the point is?

Smart Bradley and Thomas are all FAs after next year.

Also Smart is currently ahead of Terry on the depth chart.

I personally think that the better discussion is Terry vs. Bradley

At this point they are more similar skillsets.

[PhoSita]

On the basketball IQ thing, I think Smart gets perceived as taking "bad shots" but it is kind of a chicken and egg thing.  They are not really bad shots from a basketball IQ standpoint, I suspect Coach Stevens is telling him to take shots when they are there.  The problem is that he is such a bad shooter right now that he makes some of those theoretical good shots look like bad shots.

I actually appreciate that Smart is willing to take shots, especially since he occasionally gets hot.

It's much worse, in my mind, to have a poor shooter who is reluctant to shoot or take advantage of the space given to him by the defense than it is to have a guy who is ready and willing to fire away despite poor efficiency. 

The first kind of player is easy for the defense to ignore.  The second kind is still easy to ignore, but at least he gets shots up instead of playing hot potato or overdribbling, and occasionally the defense gets punished for laying off him.

[mgent]

Cool, what is your point other than to try to rile up Smart fans? They are both on our team. Smart is a good player, a winner. If Rozier is as good/better than him.. Awesome. Thankfully they are both celtics. Im confused what the point is?

Smart Bradley and Thomas are all FAs after next year.

Also Smart is currently ahead of Terry on the depth chart.

I personally think that the better discussion is Terry vs. Bradley

At this point they are more similar skillsets.

Wow, that never even came close to my mind, but I think you're accurate and you bring up a very interesting discussion.

[PhoSita]

I personally think that the better discussion is Terry vs. Bradley

At this point they are more similar skillsets.

... and there is no comparison, because Avery is light years better than Terry.

[Big333223]

Cool, what is your point other than to try to rile up Smart fans? They are both on our team. Smart is a good player, a winner. If Rozier is as good/better than him.. Awesome. Thankfully they are both celtics. Im confused what the point is?

Smart Bradley and Thomas are all FAs after next year.

Also Smart is currently ahead of Terry on the depth chart.

I personally think that the better discussion is Terry vs. Bradley

At this point they are more similar skillsets.

Not really. Bradley is a much better off ball cutter and a better one-on-one defender. But he also doesn't have the kind of energy or offensive upside that Rozier does, especially as a ballhandler. As much as Bradley as improved as a ballhandler, he still doesn't have Rozier's ability. I don't see them as very similar, besides size.

[More Banners]

My take on the roster is that Smart will replace Bradley if he's traded for an uberstar, but with the way he's playing this year, AB is a guy I want if we are to make a serious run during the Horford
Era.

Of Rozier and Smart, one might be available in the big trade we seem to expect will come.  Unless it's a trade for a hell of a guard with a better offensive game but solid defense. Though I think part of Bradleys improved offense is Smart also pressuring he perimeter.

 But I'd like to see Smart/Jaylen/Olynyk play together for a few years.

That settles it!

[More Banners]

[oops]

[Eja117]

I think at some point Rozier has a chance to be Avery Bradleyish and I don't think Smart has a chance in heck to be that good unless he really changes a lot of things.