Tag: marcus smart

Every Boston Celtics player appearance on ‘Shaqtin’a Fool’ since 2011

Watch the clip to see the worst (or at least the funniest) of the Celtics over the last decade and a year.

While it might not be an honor to appear on former Boston Celtics big man Shaquille O’Neal‘s “Shaqtin a Fool” segment on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” a fair number of Boston players making a guest appearance over the years. The segment, for the uninitiated, is effectively the blooper reel of the dumbest, funniest or weirdest things Shaq and company caught on video that week.

Now, YouTuber and Celtics fan videographer Danielle Hobeika put together an all-time compilation of when Celtics players made the show. The list includes Rajon Rondo, Mikael Pietrus, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Kris Humphries, Vitor Faverani, Kelly Olynyk, Jeff Green, Brandon Bass, Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, Al Horford, Gerald Green, Jayson Tatum, Daniel Theis, Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, and Glen “Big Baby” Davis.

Watch the clip embedded below to see the worst of Boston over the last decade and a year — and try not to drink anything while you watch it.

Check out the Celtics Lab podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

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Watch Gary Payton Sr. inform Celtics’ Marcus Smart that he is the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year

The Glove was the last guard to win the award in 1996.

In what was perhaps the most apropos revelation of an NBA end-of-season award in the history of the league’s Kia Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award, Boston Celtics veteran point guard Marcus Smart was alerted to the fact he had won the NBA’s DPOY award for the 2021-22 season from the last backcourt player to win the award, all the way back in 1996.

Snapping the drought of guards taking home that particular piece of hardware, Smart was told of his winning the award by none other than Gary “The Glove” Payton, Sr. He let the Flower Mound native know how proud he was of Smart for the nearly lost art of elite guard defense that led to his being honored by the NBA.

“You play that D the way it’s supposed to (be played),” said Payton to Smart. “You play with a chip on your shoulder and a lot of heart.”

The former Oklahoma State player responded to The Glove’s short speech with one of his own, making sure to credit his teammates for helping to put him in a position to win the DPOY award in the first place.

Check out the clips embedded above to see Payton’s award reveal and Smart’s reply.

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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Memphis Grizzlies get poor marks for their trade for Marcus Smart

This despite how well things worked out for the Boston Celtics on their side of the deal.

The Memphis Grizzlies got poor marks for their trade for veteran point guard Marcus Smart in a recent analysis. This despite how well things worked out for the Boston Celtics on their side of the deal that would ultimately move star Boston big man Kristaps porzingis to the Celtics from the Washington Wizards last offseason.

In a recent analysis put together by Bleacher Report NBA analyst Zach Buckley, the Griz got some very mediocre grades for the Smart swap. “Considering the Grizzlies’ greatest need for years had been a lanky, two-way wing, it seemed strange from the start to splurge on Smart, a 6-foot-3 combo guard who struggles to convert perimeter shots at a league-average rate,” writes Buckley.

“If everything broke just right, though, Smart could have helped the Grizzlies survive Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension, withstand the subtraction of wing stopper Dillon Brooks and check some boxes for secondary playmaking, postseason experience and defensive versatility.”

“Exactly none of that came to fruition,” however, writes the B/R analyst. “Injuries, which have quietly played a fairly significant role in Smart’s career, limited him to just 20 appearances, and even the games he played were choppy as heck.”

“The 30-year-old has time to bounce back, of course, but it wouldn’t be shocking if last season marked the start of his decline.” Final grade? For Memphis, an embarrassing C-.

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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On this day: Marcus Smart, Semih Erden signed; Bob Duffy born

On this day, veteran guard Marcus Smart and former Celtic center Semih Erden signed contracts with Boston, and former Celtic forward Bob Duffy was born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, veteran guard Marcus Smart signed his $14.8 million rookie-scale contract with the team. Drafted by the Celtics out of Oklahoma State with the sixth overall pick of the 2014 NBA draft, the Flower Mound, Texas native was named to the All-Rookie Second Team in his inaugural season.

Smart was quick to craft a reputation as one of the NBA’s most dogged defenders at any position, able to defend almost any player in the league for at least short stints. The 6-foot-3 point guard would later make All-Defensive First Teams in 2019, 2020, and 2022.

At the end of the Celtics’ 2021-22 campaign, the defining honor of his career was awarded to Smart after he became the first guard since Gary Payton to win Defensive Player of the Year.

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Marcus Smart was so proud of the Celtics winning the title despite obvious bittersweet feelings

Marcus Smart is so classy.

After years of near-misses, the Jayson Tatum Boston Celtics finally climbed the NBA’s mountain. But while Tatum and Jaylen Brown enjoyed the fruits of their labor, one of the team’s ex-integral core pieces, Marcus Smart, was left on the outside looking in because of an offseason trade.

Smart says he doesn’t hold any grudges over it.

In an interview on the Run Your Race podcast, Smart said he was so proud of the Celtics for finally winning the NBA title. At the same time, he admitted it was a little bittersweet watching them do it without him. But he’s not letting those feelings cloud his joy for ex-teammates.

What a classy guy:

Smart is experiencing one of the more unfortunate foibles for a professional athlete. He was there for all of the important developmental moments during the Tatum and Brown era. He experienced all of the playoff heartbreak that they did. Except when it was time to cash in for a title, the Boston front office decided it might be better off without him, and that bet turned out to be correct.

Kudos to Smart for handling this tough situation with aplomb. He understands that he could and should still be happy for his friends first and foremost.

Report: Grizzlies, Hornets seeking trade with Rockets for No. 3 pick; Marcus Smart of interest

Memphis and Charlotte are interested in trading for the No. 3 draft pick, Kelly Iko reports, with veteran Marcus Smart of some interest to Houston.

Memphis and Charlotte are the teams most aggressively calling the Houston Rockets in pursuit of a trade for the No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NBA draft, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko reports.

The Grizzlies and Hornets are currently slotted at No. 9 and No. 6 in the first-round order, so a trade could potentially include that pick and some form of further sweetener in exchange for the No. 3.

Iko writes:

The Grizzlies and Hornets, in particular, have been rather aggressive in their hopes of acquiring the No. 3 pick, sources said.

Both general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka are fans of veteran guard Marcus Smart, league sources said. Is there a possibility Memphis could entice Houston by offering Smart in addition to the No. 9 pick and future assets, to move up and grab [Donovan] Clingan if he isn’t already gone? Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, who has fans within the Rockets organization, could be available if Houston were to move back.

Smart was a starter for Udoka’s 2021-22 Celtics, when they reached the 2022 NBA Finals and won the Eastern Conference. He won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award for that season.

Now 30 years old, Smart should have at least a few prime playing years left. Because of that, Memphis isn’t likely to treat him as a throw-in to a potential deal. Thus, whether such a trade is possible could come down to what names are on the board at the No. 3 slot.

For example, Iko writes that Clingan — a strong, rim-protecting center out of Connecticut — could make sense for the Grizzlies. However, if Clingan is off the board, it’s unclear whether a proposal from Memphis would include an asset as desirable as Smart.

The first round takes place next Wednesday night, June 26.

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3 brilliant decisions that got the Celtics to the 2024 NBA Finals

Here are the smartest moves the Celtics made to earn a spot in the NBA Finals.

No team has been more successful in the Eastern Conference lately than the Boston Celtics. The winningest team in NBA history has played in six of the last eight Eastern Conference Finals. Boston’s best player, Jayson Tatum, has already played in 19 playoff series and is still only 26 years old.

All of that makes it no surprise to see the Celtics in their second NBA Finals in three seasons. And this time, their appearance in the NBA’s championship round is a little more tense on paper.

READ MORE: Ranking the 14 greatest NBA Finals of all time.

That’s because these Celtics were built to win a title. They have two All-Stars (Tatum and Jaylen Brown) surrounded by a roster stacked with other All-Star-caliber players and difference-makers. They also hail from the East, which is inarguably the easier path to the Finals between the NBA’s two conferences. If the Celtics don’t win this title, it’s hard to see this iteration of the team ever getting over the hump. Full stop.

With all of that said, we’ll have plenty of time to dive deeper into these narratives in a few weeks. For now, it’s worth revisiting the steps the Celtics took to build a juggernaut that qualified for this year’s NBA Finals.

1. Taking advantage of the Milwaukee Bucks’ desperation for Damian Lillard

This time last year, it wasn’t an abject certainty that Giannis Antetokounmpo would be a Buck for the duration of his entire NBA career. Well, actually, at this point in time, it still isn’t. But it helps that Milwaukee traded for perennial All-Star Damian Lillard with the aim of giving Antetokounmpo a top-flight running mate.

However, to acquire Lillard in a blockbuster trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, the Bucks had to give up some sizable assets. One of them was point guard Jrue Holiday, arguably the NBA’s best point-of-attack defender. With rebuilding Portland having no need for an older veteran guard like Holiday, it quickly shipped him off to the win-now Celtics.

Now, Holiday anchors a tenacious and elite Boston defense while usually making timely and smart plays on offense. This only happened because the Bucks were so eager for Lillard in the first place.

2. Selling high on Marcus Smart when they still could

From a glance, Smart might be one of the greatest Celtics of all time. The guard made three All-Defensive First Teams and was the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year during his career in green. He was once rightfully considered an important long-term core piece for Boston alongside Tatum and Brown.

Until he wasn’t.

After the Celtics’ disappointing collapse in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, they decided to sell high on Smart. They offloaded the defense-first point guard in a three-team deal that helped completely remodel their starting lineup. In return, Boston received a much-needed floor-spacer in center Kristaps Porzingis, who gives the Celtics another top-flight three-point shooter and offensive player.

While the Celtics are a deep and great team without Porzingis’s services, he undoubtedly gives them another extremely dangerous element. This never happens without a tough and shrewd trade of Smart.

3. Believing in Derrick White 

Once upon a time, White was just another bog standard cog-in-the-machine for the San Antonio Spurs. By no means was he a bad player, but there was little chance the guard would ever really flourish once the Spurs entered an earnest rebuild. The Celtics thought as much because they wanted to capitalize on his potential.

Once San Antonio began trying to bottom out, Boston swooped in with a modest 2022 trade centered around White eventually shining in a winning environment. He’s done that and then some ever since.

In two seasons with the Celtics, White has morphed into an elite high-volume three-point shooter. Mix that up with his All-NBA-caliber defense, and the Celtics have constructed one of the more useful “winning” backcourts in the NBA. White fits like a perfect puzzle piece with the Celtics’ starters.

Even despite their recent success, these Celtics are proof that NBA contenders should never be afraid to make bold or shrewd trades.

Sometimes, a few shake-ups are exactly what’s necessary to compete for a title.

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Has Jaylen Brown emerged as the Boston Celtics’ leader?

Is Jaylen Brown the clear-cut leader of the Boston Celtics following Marcus Smart’s departure last summer?

Jaylen Brown has enjoyed a stellar season for the Boston Celtics. He’s emerged as one of the best slashing forwards in the NBA and has shown a fearsome mid-range game to counter how defenses look to limit his drives. Yet, the most impressive aspect of Brown’s growth has been his leadership, specifically how he leads by example.

When speaking to the media following the Celtics Game 4 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday (May 27), Brown noted how he has attempted to step into the leadership void that was left behind when Marcus Smart was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies last summer.

On the latest episode of the “Celtics Chronicle“, the hosts discuss Brown’s leadership and whether he is the team’s clear-cut leader or whether he and Jayson Tatum are splitting the duties but approaching things in different ways.

You can watch the full episode by clicking on the embedded link above.

Subscribe to the “Celtics Chronicle” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3UAVYRg

Spotify:  https://spoti.fi/3y0H4Lh

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3QnlPcS

Substack: https://bit.ly/3WoA0Cf

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Jaylen Brown has embraced a leadership role this season

Jaylen Brown has embraced his role as a leader of the Boston Celtics.

Jaylen Brown has played a key role in the Boston Celtics’ path back to the NBA Finals. The veteran forward has been leading by example all season, shunning the three-point line to consistently pressure the rim and set the tone on offense. He’s also emerged as one of the best wing defenders in the NBA and often steps up as the Celtics point of attack defender.

When addressing the media as part of his postgame news conference following Boston’s Game 4 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday (May 27), Brown noted how Marcus Smart’s departure led to him stepping up as a leader.

“We had some guys leave so I wanted to make sure that void was filled,” Brown said. “Marcus Smart, one of my brothers that got traded, he was one of the voices of our team. And when he wasn’t here I wanted to make sure I stepped in. I wanted to make sure that everybody felt me and everybody knew what the standard was. We didn’t skip no steps all season. I think we played the right way every single game. I thought everybody (was) accountable. And this is the byproduct.”

Brown was crowned as the Eastern Conference finals MVP. He earned the award with his two-way production throughout a tough series against a young, hungry Pacers team.

Now, Brown will be looking to continue leading the Celtics as they bid to win their first title since 2008. Boston has multiple leaders this season, however, it’s clear this is Jayson Tatum and Brown’s team. Now, they need to prove their leadership style is conducive to winning at the highest level.

Subscribe to the “Celtics Chronicle” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3UAVYRg

Spotify:  https://spoti.fi/3y0H4Lh

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3QnlPcS

Substack: https://bit.ly/3WoA0Cf

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On this day: Boston Celtics win fifth championship vs. Los Angeles Lakers in 1962; Marcus Smart wins DPOY

On this date, the Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 110-107 in overtime of Game 7 of the 1962 NBA Finals to win their fifth banner.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the team won their fifth NBA Championship, which was for the 1961-62 season. The banner came at the expense of their longtime rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, in Game 7 of their series with the franchise at that time located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Boston won the critical game 110-107 in overtime with 30 points and 40 rebounds from legendary big man Bill Russell, part of an overall Finals series record of 189 total boards that still stands to this day. Iconic Celtics guard Sam Jones would add 27 points and 8 boards to the win as well.

Laker Frank Selvy missed a last-second shot that would have won the game for L.A., but it bounced off the rim, sending the game into the extra period that Boston would use to secure the victory.

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