For the Boston Celtics, the return of Marcus Smart was supposed to be a boost to a team that needs one. Unfortunately, Smart was not the spark plug the team needed in game four.
Marcus Smart’s return to the court on Monday night probably didn’t go as the Celtics had planned. While we got to see Smart’s hustle on display as he chased defenders around the perimeter, the stats paint a grim picture regarding his effectiveness.
Despite being known as a stout defender, Smart was unable to slow down the Bucks offense. In 15 minutes,Smart posted a minus-1.6 defensive box plus/minus. Now to be fair, returning from an Oblique injury in the middle of the playoffs is an unenviable task. That being said, Smart’s minus-7.2 offensive BPM was atrocious.
The Celtics offense has really stalled in general with Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward failing to get things going against a league-leading Bucks defense. However, Smart’s 1-for-7 performance was the absolute last thing Boston needed.
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Even worse yet, Smart’s shot attempts all came from behind the 3-point line. The Celtics are on the hook for $52 million with Smart’s next deal but they are not paying him to be a 3-point sniper (or on Monday, chucker). Smart is a defensive specialist who dives for loose balls and makes life miserable for any and all opposing offenses.
During game four, Smart played right into the Bucks hands. While Brook Lopez has improved leaps and bounds as a rim-protector over the years, he is still not Rudy Gobert. The Celtics need to create open looks through the high pick and roll with Irving/Tatum and Al Horford and also utilize Horford’s unique passing ability for a big man.
Instead, he was left hoisting up 3-pointers with no success. The Celtics are a team on the brink of elimination. With the team coveting Anthony Davis in a trade this summer, the future is uncertain for many Celtics. Smart himself has value as a trade asset but that value will crater if he continues to play like he did in game four.
Unfortunately, Smart has a short leash returning during the playoffs. While normally a game like his wouldn’t be scrutinized this much, the intensity skyrockets in May and June.
Let’s hope his second game back goes better, or else the Celtics may be starting what should be a tumultuous offseason early.