Marcus Smart, Welcome to the NBA! Here’s Your Starting Job.
Had the Boston Celtics been thoroughly destroyed by the Dallas Mavericks last night, rookie Marcus Smart still would have had a good time in Dallas.
After all, Smart grew up and played ball in the area. His mother was in attendance last night, sitting right next to Danny Ainge. The freshman, JV, and varsity basketball teams at Edward S. Marcus High School, where Smart finished his high school career, were all in attendance, as was the high school principal. Sunday Smart had visited the new house his mother would be moving into shortly after Thanksgiving, a house that he had promised his mother he would buy for her when he was just a child.
Yep – win or lose, Smart’s Dallas homecoming was bound to be special.
The fact that he made his homecoming his “I belong in the NBA!” moment, too, is just gravy.
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How good was Marcus Smart last night? Good enough that head coach Brad Stevens NEEDS, absolutely NEEDS, to start three guards for the rest of the season. Rajon Rondo. Avery Bradley. Marcus Smart. There’s three of your starting five members of the Boston Celtics’ lineup from now on.
Smart’s impact on the game goes far beyond his stat line of 7 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shots. (And damn it, those are good numbers for a rookie coming off the bench!) Smart hounded the Mavericks. He bumped them. Bruised them. He roughed up Chandler Parsons. Smothered Devin Harris. Banged bodies with Dirk Nowitzki.
Smart’s offense may still be developing, but he showed he has ice in his veins when he swished a three-pointer that cut Dallas’ lead to three with less than four minutes to play. He crashed the offensive glass and scored on a ridiculous tip-in.
And he made what I consider the play of the night, a gorgeous behind-the-back pass to Jared Sullinger for a basket after Smart had tracked down a loose ball.
Give me a break.
Look: last night made one thing painfully obvious. The Boston Celtics cannot hope to win many games by using a traditional lineup. It’s just not going to happen. Boston needs to play swarming, annoying, relentless defense if it wants to outlast its opponents this season. Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart made the Mavericks’ lives miserable last night, and it fueled the Celtics on both ends of the court. Starting a three-guard lineup will give the Celtics their best chance of winning on most nights, and will bolster the Celtics’ bench, since either Jared Sullinger or Jeff Green will be playing the role of the sixth man whenever Boston starts its trifecta in the back court.
Smart had his mitts all over Boston’s comeback last night. He’s a gamer, so let me be the first one to say it: Welcome to the NBA, Marcus! Here’s your starting job.