ESPN ranks Marcus Smart among Rising Stars

[green_bballers13]

Smart is 2.5 years in and still a terrible shooter.  It seems pretty likely he will never develop the shot based on where he is currently at.  The fact that he is ranked ahead of someone like Tobias Harris shows how good Smart's defense is and how much respect he gets because of it.

Why does it seem pretty likely he will never develop the shot? You just said he's only 2.5 years in. Is that a long time? Isn't he still further than 2.5 years away from his prime?

TB12 taught me to no longer constrain my thinking to "well, the statistics show it's unlikely" or "this guy can't improve".

I never understand the pessimistic view point while watching sports. Seems way less fun.

[Clench123]

He impact games in ways that is hard to describe.  The things he does rarely show up on stats sheet.  The guy is very important to this team.

[Moranis]

Smart is 2.5 years in and still a terrible shooter.  It seems pretty likely he will never develop the shot based on where he is currently at.  The fact that he is ranked ahead of someone like Tobias Harris shows how good Smart's defense is and how much respect he gets because of it.

Why does it seem pretty likely he will never develop the shot? You just said he's only 2.5 years in. Is that a long time? Isn't he still further than 2.5 years away from his prime?

TB12 taught me to no longer constrain my thinking to "well, the statistics show it's unlikely" or "this guy can't improve".

I never understand the pessimistic view point while watching sports. Seems way less fun.

Because Smart was a bad shooter in college also and hasn't shown any real ability to be a good shooter at the professional level.  And this isn't a case of a guy not getting consistent playing time or barely shooting from 3 where it is hard to find a groove.  I can't think of a single guy that all of a sudden had a shooting breakthrough that people on here expect Smart to magically have. 

Smart just needs to stop shooting from outside.  In fact, that would greatly improve his offensive output as you can at least be good (if not great) offensive player without having three point range, but you can't shoot the ball as much as Smart does and do it.

[GratefulCs]

UGH.  It's pretty upsetting that none of our young players make the top 30. 

It has Jaylen Brown and Jahlil Okafor basically even in the 41 and 43.

It has Marcus Smart and Dario Saric basically even at 33 and 34.

And it has Nerlens Noel ranked ahead of all our young guys at #31. 

That makes me angry.  This was obviously written by a Sixers fan.  Either that or a Lakers fan.  It has Jordan Clarkson ranked ahead of all our guys at #32 and I don't see Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle or D'Angelo Russell on the list yet, so I'm guessing they will all be in the top 30 above all our young players.   

This is a Celtic hit job.

I wouldn't go that far. Don't you think it is pretty impressive that a 19 year old rookie who has been playing like 10 minutes a game is ahead of a guy that was drafted a year earlier and made the all-rookie first team?

If Jaylen develops the potential he has shown he will be a lot higher next year.

No.  First of all, Jaylen is not 19.  He's 22.  Second, Jahlil Okafor is the worst player to ever play the game.  He's a poor man's Yinka Dare.  Putting Jaylen even with him is a savage insult.  Putting our best prospect outside the top 40 behind numerous losers is a hate crime against the Boston Celtics.

What year is this?!

[kraidstar]

Smart is 2.5 years in and still a terrible shooter.  It seems pretty likely he will never develop the shot based on where he is currently at.  The fact that he is ranked ahead of someone like Tobias Harris shows how good Smart's defense is and how much respect he gets because of it.

Why does it seem pretty likely he will never develop the shot? You just said he's only 2.5 years in. Is that a long time? Isn't he still further than 2.5 years away from his prime?

TB12 taught me to no longer constrain my thinking to "well, the statistics show it's unlikely" or "this guy can't improve".

I never understand the pessimistic view point while watching sports. Seems way less fun.

Because Smart was a bad shooter in college also and hasn't shown any real ability to be a good shooter at the professional level.  And this isn't a case of a guy not getting consistent playing time or barely shooting from 3 where it is hard to find a groove.  I can't think of a single guy that all of a sudden had a shooting breakthrough that people on here expect Smart to magically have. 

Smart just needs to stop shooting from outside.  In fact, that would greatly improve his offensive output as you can at least be good (if not great) offensive player without having three point range, but you can't shoot the ball as much as Smart does and do it.

Jimmy Butler's FG/3pt%

Age 22: .405/.182
Age 23: .467/.381 
Age 24: .397/.283
Age 25: .462/.378


He became a much more consistent shooter once he hit 25. His FTAs per minute played also increased drastically.

[GratefulCs]

I'm not willing to write off smart or brown until they're in their nba prime

Then we'll know who they really are

My mamma taught me the virtue of patience. I appreciate everyone on this forum who also practices patience.

Things are looking up for the green! Soak it in

[celticsclay]

Smart is 2.5 years in and still a terrible shooter.  It seems pretty likely he will never develop the shot based on where he is currently at.  The fact that he is ranked ahead of someone like Tobias Harris shows how good Smart's defense is and how much respect he gets because of it.

Why does it seem pretty likely he will never develop the shot? You just said he's only 2.5 years in. Is that a long time? Isn't he still further than 2.5 years away from his prime?

TB12 taught me to no longer constrain my thinking to "well, the statistics show it's unlikely" or "this guy can't improve".

I never understand the pessimistic view point while watching sports. Seems way less fun.

Because Smart was a bad shooter in college also and hasn't shown any real ability to be a good shooter at the professional level.  And this isn't a case of a guy not getting consistent playing time or barely shooting from 3 where it is hard to find a groove.  I can't think of a single guy that all of a sudden had a shooting breakthrough that people on here expect Smart to magically have. 

Smart just needs to stop shooting from outside.  In fact, that would greatly improve his offensive output as you can at least be good (if not great) offensive player without having three point range, but you can't shoot the ball as much as Smart does and do it.

Jimmy Butler's FG/3pt%

Age 22: .405/.182
Age 23: .467/.381 
Age 24: .397/.283
Age 25: .462/.378


He became a much more consistent shooter once he hit 25. His FTAs per minute played also increased drastically.

Ron Artest was shooting 40% and 30% across his first 2 seasons before making a leap. I think people even said Artest had a pretty broken shot.

Billups had poor shooting his first couple years and the league and then averaged close to 40% from 3 and 42-43% overall across his time in Minnesota and Detroit despite becoming much higher usage.

[footey]

Total insult to Celtics especially Jaylen. Can't wait to see this same poll in 2-3 years and note the shifts.

[green_bballers13]

Smart is 2.5 years in and still a terrible shooter.  It seems pretty likely he will never develop the shot based on where he is currently at.  The fact that he is ranked ahead of someone like Tobias Harris shows how good Smart's defense is and how much respect he gets because of it.

Why does it seem pretty likely he will never develop the shot? You just said he's only 2.5 years in. Is that a long time? Isn't he still further than 2.5 years away from his prime?

TB12 taught me to no longer constrain my thinking to "well, the statistics show it's unlikely" or "this guy can't improve".

I never understand the pessimistic view point while watching sports. Seems way less fun.

Because Smart was a bad shooter in college also and hasn't shown any real ability to be a good shooter at the professional level.  And this isn't a case of a guy not getting consistent playing time or barely shooting from 3 where it is hard to find a groove.  I can't think of a single guy that all of a sudden had a shooting breakthrough that people on here expect Smart to magically have. 

Smart just needs to stop shooting from outside.  In fact, that would greatly improve his offensive output as you can at least be good (if not great) offensive player without having three point range, but you can't shoot the ball as much as Smart does and do it.

I'm not sure what passes your "real ability" threshold, but other posters have mentioned his recent free throw shooting streak. In addition, he has a couple game winning shots as a Celtic from deep. I use the eye test to judge in this case. From a mechanics perspective, he has a better looking shot than guys like Josh Jackson and Lonzo Ball. I'd say Marcus has close to average mechanics for a guard.

Yes, he's been given a ton of minutes, and yes, he's missed a ton of shots, but his defense is good enough to keep him on the court. I also consider him a developing player. If he doesn't progress much, he'll be a Tony Allen type. If he does develop an offensive game, he'll be an all star.

I see no reason not to root for the latter.

[Ilikesports17]

Marcus's free throw shooting is reason enough to keep the door open on Smarts potential 3 point shooting improvements.

[slamtheking]

Smart is 2.5 years in and still a terrible shooter.  It seems pretty likely he will never develop the shot based on where he is currently at.  The fact that he is ranked ahead of someone like Tobias Harris shows how good Smart's defense is and how much respect he gets because of it.

Why does it seem pretty likely he will never develop the shot? You just said he's only 2.5 years in. Is that a long time? Isn't he still further than 2.5 years away from his prime?

TB12 taught me to no longer constrain my thinking to "well, the statistics show it's unlikely" or "this guy can't improve".

I never understand the pessimistic view point while watching sports. Seems way less fun.

Because Smart was a bad shooter in college also and hasn't shown any real ability to be a good shooter at the professional level.  And this isn't a case of a guy not getting consistent playing time or barely shooting from 3 where it is hard to find a groove.  I can't think of a single guy that all of a sudden had a shooting breakthrough that people on here expect Smart to magically have. 

Smart just needs to stop shooting from outside.  In fact, that would greatly improve his offensive output as you can at least be good (if not great) offensive player without having three point range, but you can't shoot the ball as much as Smart does and do it.

I'm not sure what passes your "real ability" threshold, but other posters have mentioned his recent free throw shooting streak. In addition, he has a couple game winning shots as a Celtic from deep. I use the eye test to judge in this case. From a mechanics perspective, he has a better looking shot than guys like Josh Jackson and Lonzo Ball. I'd say Marcus has close to average mechanics for a guard.

Yes, he's been given a ton of minutes, and yes, he's missed a ton of shots, but his defense is good enough to keep him on the court. I also consider him a developing player. If he doesn't progress much, he'll be a Tony Allen type. If he does develop an offensive game, he'll be an all star.

I see no reason not to root for the latter.

for Moranis, it's simply wearing something besides a Celtics jersey

[celticsclay]

Smart is 2.5 years in and still a terrible shooter.  It seems pretty likely he will never develop the shot based on where he is currently at.  The fact that he is ranked ahead of someone like Tobias Harris shows how good Smart's defense is and how much respect he gets because of it.

Why does it seem pretty likely he will never develop the shot? You just said he's only 2.5 years in. Is that a long time? Isn't he still further than 2.5 years away from his prime?

TB12 taught me to no longer constrain my thinking to "well, the statistics show it's unlikely" or "this guy can't improve".

I never understand the pessimistic view point while watching sports. Seems way less fun.

Because Smart was a bad shooter in college also and hasn't shown any real ability to be a good shooter at the professional level.  And this isn't a case of a guy not getting consistent playing time or barely shooting from 3 where it is hard to find a groove.  I can't think of a single guy that all of a sudden had a shooting breakthrough that people on here expect Smart to magically have. 

Smart just needs to stop shooting from outside.  In fact, that would greatly improve his offensive output as you can at least be good (if not great) offensive player without having three point range, but you can't shoot the ball as much as Smart does and do it.

I'm not sure what passes your "real ability" threshold, but other posters have mentioned his recent free throw shooting streak. In addition, he has a couple game winning shots as a Celtic from deep. I use the eye test to judge in this case. From a mechanics perspective, he has a better looking shot than guys like Josh Jackson and Lonzo Ball. I'd say Marcus has close to average mechanics for a guard.

Yes, he's been given a ton of minutes, and yes, he's missed a ton of shots, but his defense is good enough to keep him on the court. I also consider him a developing player. If he doesn't progress much, he'll be a Tony Allen type. If he does develop an offensive game, he'll be an all star.

I see no reason not to root for the latter.

for Moranis, it's simply wearing something besides a Celtics jersey

Lol a lot of tps coming your way for this one.

[footey]

Smart is 2.5 years in and still a terrible shooter.  It seems pretty likely he will never develop the shot based on where he is currently at.  The fact that he is ranked ahead of someone like Tobias Harris shows how good Smart's defense is and how much respect he gets because of it.

Why does it seem pretty likely he will never develop the shot? You just said he's only 2.5 years in. Is that a long time? Isn't he still further than 2.5 years away from his prime?

TB12 taught me to no longer constrain my thinking to "well, the statistics show it's unlikely" or "this guy can't improve".

I never understand the pessimistic view point while watching sports. Seems way less fun.

Because Smart was a bad shooter in college also and hasn't shown any real ability to be a good shooter at the professional level.  And this isn't a case of a guy not getting consistent playing time or barely shooting from 3 where it is hard to find a groove.  I can't think of a single guy that all of a sudden had a shooting breakthrough that people on here expect Smart to magically have. 

Smart just needs to stop shooting from outside.  In fact, that would greatly improve his offensive output as you can at least be good (if not great) offensive player without having three point range, but you can't shoot the ball as much as Smart does and do it.

Jimmy Butler's FG/3pt%

Age 22: .405/.182
Age 23: .467/.381 
Age 24: .397/.283
Age 25: .462/.378


He became a much more consistent shooter once he hit 25. His FTAs per minute played also increased drastically.

Ron Artest was shooting 40% and 30% across his first 2 seasons before making a leap. I think people even said Artest had a pretty broken shot.

Billups had poor shooting his first couple years and the league and then averaged close to 40% from 3 and 42-43% overall across his time in Minnesota and Detroit despite becoming much higher usage.

Not to negate the notion that Marcus can improve -- I think he already is and will continue to-- my recollection is that Chauncey was always a high 80's FT shooter, even as a rookie for Boston, so he projected to become a good shooter early on.  Someone may want to check that out, my memory can play tricks at my age!!

[saltlover]

Smart is 2.5 years in and still a terrible shooter.  It seems pretty likely he will never develop the shot based on where he is currently at.  The fact that he is ranked ahead of someone like Tobias Harris shows how good Smart's defense is and how much respect he gets because of it.

Why does it seem pretty likely he will never develop the shot? You just said he's only 2.5 years in. Is that a long time? Isn't he still further than 2.5 years away from his prime?

TB12 taught me to no longer constrain my thinking to "well, the statistics show it's unlikely" or "this guy can't improve".

I never understand the pessimistic view point while watching sports. Seems way less fun.

Because Smart was a bad shooter in college also and hasn't shown any real ability to be a good shooter at the professional level.  And this isn't a case of a guy not getting consistent playing time or barely shooting from 3 where it is hard to find a groove.  I can't think of a single guy that all of a sudden had a shooting breakthrough that people on here expect Smart to magically have. 

Smart just needs to stop shooting from outside.  In fact, that would greatly improve his offensive output as you can at least be good (if not great) offensive player without having three point range, but you can't shoot the ball as much as Smart does and do it.

Jimmy Butler's FG/3pt%

Age 22: .405/.182
Age 23: .467/.381 
Age 24: .397/.283
Age 25: .462/.378


He became a much more consistent shooter once he hit 25. His FTAs per minute played also increased drastically.

Ron Artest was shooting 40% and 30% across his first 2 seasons before making a leap. I think people even said Artest had a pretty broken shot.

Billups had poor shooting his first couple years and the league and then averaged close to 40% from 3 and 42-43% overall across his time in Minnesota and Detroit despite becoming much higher usage.

Not to negate the notion that Marcus can improve -- I think he already is and will continue to-- my recollection is that Chauncey was always a high 80's FT shooter, even as a rookie for Boston, so he projected to become a good shooter early on.  Someone may want to check that out, my memory can play tricks at my age!!

This is correct.  Chauncey also shot 85% from the line in college.

[TheSundanceKid]

Didn't Pelton rank Jaylen as a 2nd round pick according to his advanced stat model? Pretty sure he's never been high on him so that's not a surprise.

ESPN know who their audience is, their data is rarely honest. Take it with a pinch of salt