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Boston Celtics: Results Already Showing For Marcus Smart

By Joshua Bateman

Apr 8, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) reacts during the first half of a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) reacts during the first half of a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports /
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The work Marcus Smart put into his shot this offseason has not gone unnoticed in training camp

After Marcus Smart burst into the league as a top defensive guard, he was given a lot of leeway on the offensive end with the Boston Celitcs. He clearly struggled, but he contributed in more than enough ways to make up for that. The Celtics have been patient with him, but everyone has realized that he needs to quickly improve on the offensive end. Smart talked specifically about working on his shot and the early camp indications are suggesting that there will be some improvement.

Of Course, there has been talk of Smart improving his shot before every season and skepticism is certainly warranted. That being said, there has been actual tangible proof of the work Smart has done with the mechanical changes he has made to his technique.

Of course, this is an unbearably small sample size and it is isolated out of actual game situations, but the look and the feel are indicating that he should no longer be a sub 30 percent three point shooter.

Marc D’Amico had this to say about Smart’s jumper early on in camp: “The league will take notice this season – Marcus Smart’s release on his jumper has improved dramatically. Much quicker, much less movement”.

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Last season, Smart was wild and inconsistent. He never harnessed his aggressiveness and chucked any shot that presented itself to him. The Celtics need that kind of aggressiveness on offense but Smart never had the consistency in his form to be a reliable threat with his shot. Now, it appears as though Smart has started making the necessary progress.

Smart should have a quicker and cleaner release. It will be more difficult for teams to close him out and he needs to be more effective as a finisher. Shooting is the one area where Smart has been a liability for the Celtics, but he clearly understood that himself. The Celtics need aggressive shooters with a quick release. That allows them to be effective in their aggressiveness, and this is the direction that Smart appears to be heading in.

First of all, Smart needs to keep this up in camp. Smart has been an unreliable shooter and his inconsistency has been maddening. The Celtics gave Smart a green light because they saw flashes of potential when he got hot. Every once in a while, Smart would hit shots in bunches and helped restore faith that he could be a good offensive weapon.

Mar 15, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) defends in the first quarter of the game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 15, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) defends in the first quarter of the game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

This has been too small of a sample size to trust that what is being seen now will be maintained throughout a season. Even after the entirety of training camp, Smart will need to do more in actual NBA games before any level of trust can be established.

For Smart, the key is some sort of consistent progress, rather than momentary flashes of improvement. Smart has a long ways to go in terms of shooting and it is unrealistic to expect everything to be fixed in one offseason. Smart regressed in his percentages from his first to his second season and he has a lot of ground to make up.

The timing, however, could not be better. Even if Smart is not the primary ball handler on the second unit, he will be looked to as a main offensive instigator. The Celtics know Smart will establish the pace but they need players that will knock down shots on the second unit.

Evan Turner was never a three point shooter and that makes Smart’s upside even more intriguing. If he can give Kelly Olynyk and Jonas Jerebko another good three point shooter on the second unit, then they could actually be improved offensively, despite the loss of Turner.

Any definitive reaction at this point would be an over reaction. The Celtics will continue to be patient with Smart but everything is working out how they would like so far. Smart has clearly focused on improving his shooting form and he understands how important it is for him to have an impact on offense.

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Smart is looking to become one of the better two way players for the Celtics, and he already has everything he needs on the defensive end. On offense, he has very little in terms of scoring production, but that is what this offseason has been about for him. Smart is working towards balancing out his game and if he achieves any kind of balance, his importance to the team will quickly increase and could even make a case for him to be brought back into the starting unit.

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