Boston Celtics veteran guard Marcus Smart is getting some love denied to teammates Robert Williams III and Al Horford (the frontcourt duo left on the outside looking in of Sports Illustrated’s annual NBA top-100 rankings). The Flower Mound native is roughly rightly represented with a ranking of 60th in the league by SI, with Michael Pina relating that “Smart is often recognized as the Celtics’ heart and soul, a feisty, protean guard who shares the psychology of an outside linebacker.”
“If the work is dirty, Smart won’t mind sticking his face in it,” observes the SI analyst, summing up his essence as an NBA player in a sentence quite well.
“Now entering his prime with an outside shot that remains up and down from year to year, Smart’s physical tenacity (and relatively unnoticed playmaking chops) still endears him to teammates and coaches,” offers Pina, “even when he’s a bit too overzealous with the jumper.”
Boston’s Jaylen Brown talks activism, race, his health and the coming season in a new interview https://t.co/EkkJrksdPp
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 21, 2021
This assessment certainly won’t have the potential for bulletin board material Timelord and Horford’s ranking did, but it does help stoke our excitement to see the defensive maestro back on the court with his first real chance to really flex those playmaking chops.
This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
[lawrence-related id=59638,59626,59619,59608]
[listicle id=59653]