Bradley’s Defense Could Force Marcus Smart into the Starting Lineup
Marcus Smart is the only one who can replace Avery Bradley’s Defense
The Boston Celtics still do not know who is going to replace Avery Bradley in the starting lineup, and they are not short on options. Last season it was Jaylen Brown who replaced Bradley when he was injured. Jayson Tatum is looked at as an NBA ready scorer, who could fit phenomenally next to Thomas. Even Gordon Hayward could move over and play in the back court beside Isaiah Thomas.
All three of those players would ensure that the Celtics will not be missing much on the offensive end. That being said, defense has always been the priority for the Celtics, and that could make Marcus Smart an overwhelming favorite to start.
The Celtics take pride in the defense they play, and Stevens will not settle into a lineup that he believes is a defensive liability. Bradley was arguably the most important defender on the team, and that starting lineup could be a defensive liability if they do not replace Bradley’s impact.
While Hayward might be an underrated defender, and Brown showed great promise a season ago, there is only one player on this roster with any chance to replace Bradley’s defense, and that is Smart.
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Smart has actually establishes a case to be an overall better defender than Bradley. He has some of the best size for any guard in the NBA. He has unlimited strength combined with unlimited aggressiveness, and there may not be another guard in the NBA who makes things more difficult on so many different positions that Smart.
Bradley, on the other hand, was the perfect one on one defender. Every guard that comes out and admits who the toughest defensive guard in the league is, they say Bradley. His form is almost perfect. He has the speed and footwork to stay with anyone in the league, and the discipline and precision to not be phased by the best handles in the league. Bradley defends in a way that no one else in the league can duplicate, but Smart might be able to match the effectiveness.
Smart is able to eat players up with his defense. He will certainly foul more, and he will certainly get caught with overaggressive mistakes. That being said, his overwhelming defense gives him an opportunity to shut an individual player down like Bradley does.
Off the ball, Smart is probably already at Bradley’s level. This season he needs to improve as an individual one on one defender. If he does that, the extra size he brings could make for an overall better situations.
Smart can help make up for the issues created by Thomas’ size, and his off ball movement could be a big part of that. Stevens will have to figure out exactly how to work him, but if losing Bradley’s defense is at all a problem, you have to expect Smart to be in the starting lineup.
The biggest problem with that is that the Celtics need a ball handler for the second unit. Last season, there was absolutely no other option, and that is why Stevens switched Brown into the starting lineup, keeping Smart with the bench unit.
This season, the Celtics could be expecting a lot more out of Terry Rozier as a ball handler, and we saw Brown spend a lot more time as a ball handler in Summer League. There are options, but those are uncertain options.
Smart’s ball handling is another bonus for the starting lineup too. The Celtics love to use Thomas off the ball as much as they do on the ball. With Smart in the lineup, Thomas has a lot more freedom to move without the ball, and be the one receiving open looks, instead of generating them all.
The biggest difference is that the Celtics know they should be good on offense no matter what. Thomas, Hayward and Al Horford will carry this team on offense, and whoever is beside them should be ale to work fine.
What the Celtics need to focus on with those last two spots are making sure that the chemistry still works, which is no concern at all with Smart, and they need to make sure they are one of the stronger defenses in the league.
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The Celtics know they have the pieces to be a top defense, and if Smart is an irreplaceable part then he will be the starter for the Celtics this season.