Hardwood Houdini
Fansided

Boston Celtics: Can Marcus Smart Repeat Success Against James Harden

By Joshua Bateman

BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 28: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets fouls Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter of the game at TD Garden on December 28, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 28: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets fouls Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter of the game at TD Garden on December 28, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Boston Celtics need Marcus Smart to be effective against James Harden to have a chance against the Rockets

James Harden is once against having an MVP level campaign where he is proving that he is one the greatest offensive players this league has ever seen. He has mastered things on offense in ways that no one else in the league has, and he is probably the most frustrating offensive player to have to defend in the NBA.

When you are thinking about how you want to contain the most frustrating offensive weapon in the NBA, one of the first places you could look is the most frustrating defensive player in the NBA, and that is what makes his matchup with Marcus Smart so fascinating.

Ever since he entered the league, people could see what a special defender Smart is, and now everyone else on the outside is quickly catching up to the fact that he is as good as anyone else in this league on the defensive end, and the way he plays can be a great way to neutralize Harden.

Last time they went head to head, Smart limited Harden to just six points while guarding him, which is already one of the most impressive things he has done this season. What was more impressive, however, is forcing him into more turnovers than assists, and how that pushed Harden off his game.

More from Hardwood Houdini

Everyone remembers the back to back offensive fouls that allowed the Celtics to steal one of their best wins of the season, but less people remember the terrible deep contested shots that Harden took on multiple possessions before that.

Jayson Tatum even managed to get a late game block on him, because Harden took the mentality that he was just going to score no matter what, and the Houston Rockets lost because of it.

One of the best parts of this Rockets team is that they are one of the highest functioning offenses the league has ever seen. No one needs more material to be convinced about what Harden and Chris Paul can do in isolation, but that is not why they are the biggest threat to the Warriors since Kevin Durant joined them.

They are a threat to the Warriors because they have all the individual talent coming together in a way that will allow them to score with a team that will always have more talent than them. The Rockets know exactly what they need to do, and everyone knows how to get there. And, at this point, no defense is really proving they can consistently keep them away from that.

Who knows if he can repeat it but, last game, Smart gave us a taste of how you can throw off the Rockets: you need to frustrate the most frustrating player in the game. Smart is the one player that will give you no space no matter how you try to get it. He is going to be stronger than you, he will stay in front of you, there there will be no space what so ever.

The danger is that you know Harden is going to use that aggressiveness to try and get him into foul trouble, but Smart is becoming a lot more polished, and is avoiding the bad fouls. The Rockets always go through Harden to function well, and Smart is as good of an option to throw that off as anyone else.

The unfortunate reality is that how this matchup is officiated will play a major role. Everyone likes to talk about the calls Harden gets, but that is because he has mastered how to get those calls. If Harden is able to force Smart into situations where he cannot be aggressive without fouling, he will dominate.

If, however, Smart is able to play with all his intensity and energy, and take away any bit of space Harden might have, without fouling, then the Celtics could have a repeat of their last game. Smart will wear you down physically, but he will also wear you down mentally. He will make you believe that what he is doing will never stop and never slow down, and that is why you saw Harden chucking up those awful shots last game, and pushing off just a bit more than he usually does.

Next: is Monroe washed up already?

The Celtics need Smart to be the most important player in this game, because if he is able to frustrate Harden again, and prevent him from being as masterful as he has been all year long, the Celtics could get a signature victory tonight.

Home/Celtics News