Could Marcus Smart somehow turn this injury int a positive this season?
Everything about the current Marcus Smart situation sucks. They hate to lose him on the court at a time when the Raptors are closing in on the standings, and they hate that it happened because of a non basketball related outburst of anger. You never want to see injuries, but there is an added level of frustration when it is something as avoidable as getting cut on a picture frame.
Having this happen in a contract year where he is still struggling to shoot could spell disaster for Smart this season. All the questions Smart needed to answer before getting the kind of money he wants have not been answered, and this recent incident is dragging him down from where he was last year.
We’ve seen the anger outbursts from Smart before, but this is the first time he has done damage and really hurt the team in the process. The Celtics got all the leverage they need to low ball Smart in negotiations this summer, and this could end up costing Smart millions of dollars.
More from Hardwood Houdini
- Boston Celtics’ two-way contract decision will be made after training camp
- Proposed trade sends Boston Celtics playoff killer to the Cs from rival
- ‘Face of Germany’s stunning run’ in FIBA World Cup not the only ex-Boston Celtics player to win gold
- Proposed Boston Celtics trade target pitched for reunion with fired coach
- Battle For Banner 18: Will Boston Celtics battle historical foe in 2024 Finals?
Right now, it looks like this is the worst thing that could have happened to Smart this season, but he can turn it around. If, somehow, this can become a wake up call from Smart, maybe it can turn into him becoming more aware of the problems that need to be fixed before getting paid the money he feels he deserves.
Smart can use this as an opportunity to refocus on the team, and prove that he will channel this energy into all the things he does so well on the court. This incident has brought Smart’s biggest problems to the forefront, and that extra awareness could push him to fix these problems, and at least be more aware than he would have been without some sort of wake up call.
Maybe Smart will focus more on taking better shots that will allow him to shoot a higher percentage. The Celtics love his intensity, but there are ways he could turn things down on offense, and improve his overall impact.
This can also give Smart an opportunity to prove this incident was an anomaly. There have been anger incidents in the past, but we have seen how valuable his anger can be. If Smart can prove that he will only channel his anger into positive things on the court, then this could be a positive.
Next: Theis Most reliable player off the bench
One way or another, people will be paying more attention to Smart once he comes back, and that can impact him in either extreme. Because, realistically, Smart only ever works in the extremes.