Marcus Smart might be the last player the Boston Celtics wanted to lose for the Warriors game
The Boston Celtics are getting ready for what will be the most challenging game of the regular season. On top of the fact that the Golden State Warriors are the most difficult team to defend of all time, the Celtics have to do it without their most important defender in this matcup: Marcus Smart.
Smart injured his hand punching a picture frame, and there is no one else on this roster that can replace the impact he would have in disrupting the Warriors’ back court. The Celtics have been successful against the Warriors in the past because of their ability to throw off their game.
Smart’s ability to get up and make sure that Steph Curry or Klay Thompson have as little space as possible if the biggest individual impact on disrupting them. The worst part is that slight difference you get with the incredible intensity of Smart could be the difference with these guys. They have the quickest releases in the NBA, and the smallest amount of space is a death sentence.
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Without Smart, the Celtics are going to have to rely a lot more on young and unproven defenders, who at this point should not be expected to slow down the kind of offensive talent the Warriors have. On top of all that, Smart would have also been an option to throw at Kevin Durant if they had no other answer.
The Celtics know their perimeter defense has to be on point, and Smart is the best on the team at that. Additionally, Smart is the quarterback of the defense. The Warriors are one of the highest functioning teams in the league, and the entire defense needs to be on the same page for the Celtics.
Smart is the one that makes sure everyone is in the right place off the ball, and he can also be disruptive, even when he is no defending the man handling the ball. Smart could do so many different vital things against the Warriors, and you cannot expect that from the guards behind him.
Fortunately, this is the best defense in the league for many more reasons than just Smart. They always defend as an overall unit, and missing one player does not destroy everything they are good at. This does mean that there can be no liabilities what so ever. Smart is great at making up for mistakes around him, and making the extra plays when someone is falling behind.
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Without Smart, that cannot happen is they still want to win. The Celtics will need good defense from literally every single player that sees the court, and they need to make sure that not a single player on the Warriors is ever able to get comfortable.