marcus detractors beware

[rollie mass]

That junkyard dog just got loose and praised by everyone for his hustle,drive  and intangibles-even hits a couple threes
So i had mentioned in previous game a wall off in paint that freed Crowder and its importance.
This time the announcer caught it and said how it made the play and that was the type of player Marcus is.
 Intangibles like  2 blocks,6 rebounds forced a wall turnover and then another .great defense down stretch
Now in this Cavs series smarts strength and defense will be even more important than some sissy scorer

[Celtics4ever]

Beware of what?   He might perform close to where he was drafted?

I love his game but I think it helps to be honest to where he is as a player.   He is impactful and makes winning plays.   I don't think he has a true position but he is more of a PG than anything.   He had a good shooting night for him last night but truth is he is paid to play basketball and ought to work on his shot so he is shooting well every night.

[Future Celtics Owner]

Beware of what?   He might perform close to where he was drafted?

I love his game but I think it helps to be honest to where he is as a player.   He is impactful and makes winning plays.   I don't think he has a true position but he is more of a PG than anything.   He had a good shooting night for him last night but truth is he is paid to play basketball and ought to work on his shot so he is shooting well every night.

tp

[Roy H.]

I was cursing Marcus midway through the third. He was doing nothing offensively, and was getting torched on D.

Then, he flipped a switch and started draining threes and getting buckets.

[hodgy03038]

I love the way Marcus passed to Kelly and Kelly passed it back to Marcus whon then looked at Kelly just prior to knocking down the 3. It was like "Kelly trusts me" and then he rewards the trust with a huge 3.

[Greyman]

A lot of threads about Smart, many comparing him to other Celtics. Happy he has reminded us of what he can do. While KO deserves his plaudits, Smart and Brown both stepped up and contributed.

[footey]

I love the way Marcus passed to Kelly and Kelly passed it back to Marcus whon then looked at Kelly just prior to knocking down the 3. It was like "Kelly trusts me" and then he rewards the trust with a huge 3.

KO and Marcus have had great chemistry since 2014 summer league when Marcus was a rookie. You could see it then. That is also when you could tell Marcus had a post game.

[Eddie20]

I love the way Marcus passed to Kelly and Kelly passed it back to Marcus whon then looked at Kelly just prior to knocking down the 3. It was like "Kelly trusts me" and then he rewards the trust with a huge 3.

Dude, he was looking at the shot-clock at the other basket. He wasn't staring at Kelly in awe.

[Ed Hollison]

Marcus will be one of the most important players for the Celtics in this series. He has the strength to defend James in spurts if he's caught in switches. And on offense, you can post him up on Kyrie Irving and really punish him down low.

[Big333223]

There were 2 plays last night that I think were very important for Marcus.

1. The block at the end of the 2nd quarter where he was then able to recover and dive on the ball and get fouled. The whole thing was incredible. The athleticism and hustle to get the ball at all was amazing but who else in the league is then going to be able to recover that quickly to dive on the ball and get himself to the free throw line?

This play was important because that's the kind of hustle that we've come to expect from Marcus. But how wild is it that we've come to expect that kind of intensity and effort from a guy. I love it.

2. With about 45 seconds left, the Celtics up 7, the shot clock winding down, Marcus had the ball with Bogdanovic (3-4 inches taller) on him. He had already made a pair of 3's and I had a feeling he was going to shoot another. But he didn't. Instead he drove right into Bogdanovic's chest and finished at the rim.

This was a great, great play for Marcus and should be a beacon for how he should be playing on offense, especially in these kinds of moments. He's not going to be bigger than a lot of guys guarding him but he's frequently going to be stronger. Driving right into his defenders, getting contact, and learning how to finish through that contact at the NBA level is going to be his bread and butter, especially if he gets himself to the line.

It was nice that he made both his 3's last night but I also think it was good that he didn't shoot a 3 until midway through the third quarter, when he was well in rhythm. That might also be something to take away from his performance last night. I'm not saying he should shoot when he's open, but earlier in the game he should look to get his offense elsewhere first.

Oops, I wrote a lot. I'm still pretty excited.

[TheSundanceKid]

I was cursing Marcus midway through the third. He was doing nothing offensively, and was getting torched on D.

Then, he flipped a switch and started draining threes and getting buckets.

He was not getting torched on D. He had some foul calls go against him when they shouldn't have which naturally limits what you can do defensively. He was also matched up on Beal who was on fire. Just look at what he did to Avery Bradley. But even on the made buckets Beal had to work so hard to get them, that was all Marcus

[Surferdad]

I was cursing Marcus midway through the third. He was doing nothing offensively, and was getting torched on D.

Then, he flipped a switch and started draining threes and getting buckets.

He was not getting torched on D. He had some foul calls go against him when they shouldn't have which naturally limits what you can do defensively. He was also matched up on Beal who was on fire. Just look at what he did to Avery Bradley. But even on the made buckets Beal had to work so hard to get them, that was all Marcus

Thomas was guarding Beal for much of the time, not just Bradley.  Of course, BB was torching him.

[Smokeeye123]

Nights like last night are great, but it doesn't erase the few horrible games he's had this series.

Same with Olynyk. I was in awe of him last night but I recognize it is in the best interest of the team to let him go this offseason and bring in a free agent.

[Eddie20]

Smart is a much better leaper jumping of both legs than he is going off 1. He's a natural 2 legged jumper, but he has a knack of going off one on his drives to the basket, which leaves him with little lift. This small adjustment could be huge in his finishing ability around the basket. A better leaping Smart, combined with his strength, has the potential of being much better offensively.

Sidenote:
I do think he could shed a little bit of weight too. That would help his explosiveness as well.

[obnoxiousmime]

Smart did make some plays that helped them win the game. He also, throughout the series, made plays that helped them lose games. The same with Olynyk, who really needs to score to be effective since he is a defensive liability.

Nobody is arguing that they are not capable rotation players. It's just that in this league you can't sign those guys to big deals if it ties up your cap space and prevents you from acquiring stars. The Celtics need more two-way players who can be trusted with playing 30+ minutes a game without killing the offense or defense too greatly.

Without a consistent shot Smart will never be a starter on a contender. If he is willing to be a role player and not take the highest possible FA offer next year, I can see him sticking around, but that also depends on Rozier's development and whomever the Celts draft this year. Due to timing, Olynyk is probably gone.