The Next Step for Marcus Smart

With the Celtics set to improve next season, third year guard Marcus Smart must step up and realize his full potential

Boston Celtics guard, Marcus Smart has left much to be desired in the first two years of his NBA career. As Boston continues to build a formidable Eastern Conference contender, Smart’s development will not only dictate the team’s success, but his own future with the Celtics.

After being drafted with the sixth overall selection in the 2014 draft, Smart joined a Celtics team that was inundated with veteran NBA guards, fighting for a place in the rotation. Despite this, Brad Stevens gave Smart the ‘green light’ in all aspects of the game, providing him with immediate NBA experience regardless of his imminent ‘rookie mistakes’. This undisciplined tutelage may have left Smart unsure of where his game would develop, offensively in particular.

The Oklahoma State alum was scouted predominantly for his strong, six-foot-four, 220-pound frame. Smart averaged three steals per game during his two years in college, leaving no doubt that his disruptive defensive ability would translate to the NBA in some form. The unmatched effort at the defensive end, paired with his NBA-ready body was Smart’s biggest draw as a player, but his ability to get to the basket with force and create was the most exciting aspect of his game in college.

Coming out of college, Smart’s slashing and driving talent was arguably his greatest offensive ability within his limited set of skills. However, Smart’s ability to get to the basket at the NBA level has dissipated drastically, averaging just 3.2 drives per game. In comparison, Isaiah Thomas recorded an impressive 11.7 drives to the basket per game, making the inside shot a valuable asset for a player much smaller in stature.

Alternatively, Smart has chosen to settle for outside shots at the pro-level, shooting 51 percent of his field goal attempts from behind the arc over his career. His shaky jump shot does not hold up at the next level and should not be relied on this often, shooting a woeful 30 percent from distance in his career. Overall, his performance has suffered due to his unwillingness to utilize his physically imposing frame on offense.

The next step for Smart depends on the transformation of his offensive repertoire, driving to the lane and creating plays for both himself and his teammates.

Following the Rajon Rondo deal, Stevens was forced to experiment with starting point guard replacements, granting Smart with his debut in the starting lineup on December 21st, 2014. Boston continued to experiment with other point guard options for the next month until Stevens decided it was finally time to hand the point guard keys to Smart for the rest of his rookie season.

This individual success did not go unnoticed, Smart’s hustle plays and defensive prowess – averaging 1.5 steals per game – granted him the responsibility to finish tight games down the stretch.

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In his second NBA season, the addition of Isaiah Thomas forced him out of the starting lineup for the most part of the regular season. Paired with this, Smart’s development in various statistical categories took a step backwards, while his minutes per game remained steady – which is an alarming sign for Boston.

Marcus Smart took almost two more field goal attempts per game this season (8.7) compared to his rookie season (7.1). This statistic, combined with his drop in overall field goal percentage – 35 percent, compared to his rookie season 38 percent – highlights Smart’s depleting offensive efficiency. Not only that, but he also recorded one of the worst three-point shooting years, ever – tallying a dismal 25 percent three-point field goal percentage this past season.

The Marcus Smart conundrum stems from the uncertainty of which on-court position he belongs in. At this point, his ball handling and passing deficiency prevents him from being a starting-caliber point guard, whereas his reluctance to slash and drive the lane is preventing him from being a successful undersized shooting guard.

Next: Boston Celtics Offseason Report Card

Smart’s fiery passion and competitive nature instills the heart and soul of this Celtics squad, but as a young basketball prodigy, he can be so much more. His natural leadership was praised throughout his first two seasons in the league and his development into a star player seemed to be fast-tracked. Smart’s potential ceiling has always been expected to be star-calibre, but many should begin to question if that is realistic at this point.

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