What will the Boston Celtics’ defense look like without veteran point guard Marcus Smart anchoring it? For nearly a decade, the Flower Mound native was a unifying force for Boston on that end of the floor, but now he will be doing those duties in the state of Tennessee for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Who will step up to fill the void in his absence? We should of course expect more out of All-NBA wings Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum on that end of the court, but the other positive defenders will need to do more as well. That means Robert Williams III, Derrick White, and Al Horford will have to do more defensively, as will those joining the team like Kristaps Porzingis and Oshae Brissett.
Others, like Rookie Jordan Walsh, can basically be expected to need some time to get up to speed on Boston’s defense — but will also need to master it in a hurry if they want real floor time.
The hosts of the “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast recently convened to talk this conundrum over — check out the clip embedded above to hear what they think will happen with Boston’s defensive identity.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
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