Marcus Smart‘s value would be on full display on a Celtics super team.
Woj reported Tuesday that the Celtics are trying to create the NBA’s next super team by adding Gordon Hayward through free agency, and trading for Paul George with an extension in place.
Boston’s depth would be taken away mostly, but their roster would still have a nice balance veteran stars and talented youngsters. Bobby Marks tweeted out an example of what the Celtics roster would look like if the moves actually happened.
That’s still a pretty solid core behind the four stars in Thomas, Horford, George, and Hayward. Danny Ainge would make his team exponentially better while keeping their young studs on the roster. This would certainly give them the talent edge on Cleveland, and we could start thinking about contending against Golden State with this kind of team.
One advantage that is less obvious when constructing a super team like this would be the play of Marcus Smart. For three seasons now, Smart has made a name for himself among Celtics fans as a glue-guy, and one that makes winning plays on a consistent basis. However, he is widely known around the league as a flopper who can’t hit a perimeter jump shot.
On a team as talented as this, the necessity of a player like Smart goes up. Not only does Smart make plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet, but he makes them in huge moments. On a team like the one Ainge is trying to construct, those plays will be highlighted on the national stage.
As a Celtics fan, you have to want this for Smart. He’s such an important part of the current Celtics team, but barely gets any respect outside of Boston due to a lack of knowledge on the subject. Just imagine Smart stripping LeBron James in Game 7 of the eastern conference finals and feeding George for a fast break triple to close the door on the Cavs for good.
Next: How Gordon Hayward or Blake Griffin would Fit
We could make up a ton of these hypotheticals on what kind of plays Smart would make with more talented teammates, but the important thing to note is that he would make a ton of big plays in huge spots. Draymond Green is widely regarded as the engine that drives the Warriors, and I see Smart having a similar impact even though he doesn’t transform the play style of his team like Green did.