Celtics Need Marcus Smart To Reappear In Game 7

The Celtics bench struggled mightily in Game 6. Boston will need a resurgence from guard Marcus Smart in Game 7 in order to advance to the conference finals.

Despite scintillating 20+-point performances from the likes of Avery Bradley, Isaiah Thomas, and Al Horford, the Boston Celtics sputtered to a gut-wrenching 92-91 loss in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Friday night in Washington.

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While an avalanche of mistakes resulted in the Celtics coughing up a late five-point advantage, Boston was plagued throughout the contest by a lack of production from their reserves. Celtics bench players combined for just five measly points on 2-of-15 shooting from the field. Those not named Kelly Olynyk chipped in a single free throw while missing on every single one of their 11 field goal attempts.

Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier were ineffective in their 22 combined minutes of action, totaling five missed three-pointers and eight total misses without a single converted basket. However, the two each netted plus-minus ratings in the positive range. Guard Marcus Smart cannot assert the same claim. The third-year pro was dealt the team’s worst plus-minus rating (-8) while becoming an absolute non-factor on the offensive side of the ball.

In 28 minutes, Smart took just three field goal attempts, one of which was a three-pointer, while taking just two free throws. He did manage to garner four assists and a pair of offensive rebounds, however, the Celtics need him to assert himself as a threat to penetrate and potentially knock down an open corner three-pointer every once in awhile over the course of Monday night’s Game 7 showdown.

Smart’s willingness to shoot his shot in Games 2 and 5 at the TD Garden played a significant role in the bench’s stellar production. In a Game 5 blowout, Smart was not shy to keep the Washington defense honest and shoot the long range shot when provided with an open look.

Smart took five three-point attempts while canning a pair. In Game 2, the Oklahoma State product made just one of his four three-pointers. However, he penetrated and ran the fast break with aggressiveness, leading him to garnering nine points on 3-for-7 shooting.

The key for Smart is shot selection, and he has improved significantly in this regard over the course of the season. Smart has honed his ability to convert long range attempts from the short corner, as he canned 41.9 percent of his corner threes in the regular season, a vast improvement from the horrendous 20.3 percent he shot on corner threes a year prior.

May 2, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart (36) controls the ball on a breakaway during the fourth quarter in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs against the Washington Wizards at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /

More of Smart’s three-point attempts over the course of the postseason have come on catch-and-shoot opportunities from the corner, which are much more promising for the burlesque guard than an off-kilter pull-up three.

One aspect of Smart’s game that has improved over the course of the semifinal series has been his ball security. In Game 3, Smart was an absolute train wreck handling the rock. His eight turnovers mired him in a pit of desperation, as the Wizards abused him defensively while applying surplus amounts of pressure on him.

After coughing it up twice in Game 4, Smart was brilliant in Game 5 with six assists and not a single turnover. He continued this perfect streak into Game 6, racking up his quartet of dimes while failing to commit a single miscue.

Next: Boston Celtics Know What They Need to Win Game Seven

The fact that Smart has committed zero turnovers over his last ten assists should emphasize his need to remain aggressive. He has displayed his ability to carve up the Wizards defensive front with his passing skills over the last two games, and this assist prowess should influence him to press the issue in Game 7. This could also lead to some open looks at the rim for Smart, which were few and far between in Game 6.

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