Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart was among the notable snubs for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
Look, every NBA–or really any league–award has a list of snubs. It’s the nature of awards. The Houdini is not here to say Montrezl Harrell was a bad choice for the 2019-20 Sixth Man of the Year. We just saw a lot of winning Boston Celtics basketball because of Marcus Smart this season and feel that he was about as much of a super-sub as needed.
Perhaps the fact that he started so many games due to injury is a detriment to his case for the award. In a strange way, the opportunity provided by getting extra minutes and an enhanced role cost Smart a shot at a winnable award for a player of his caliber.
Gordon Hayward’s injury has introduced us to the new world of Team Shamrock starting and finishing games, but that was not supposed to be the case for the 2019-20 campaign. Smart would not have played 32 minutes per game if the Cs were fully healthy.
To boot, Smart’s 13 points, five assists, and four rebounds per game might not put like Harrell’s 18 points and seven rebounds but there is an intangible element of his contributions that voters have yet to honor with the Sixth Man of the Year award. Then again, the former Oklahoma State Cowboy tends to find his way into the starting lineup by season’s end year in and year out.
Some notable snubs for the award include Harrell’s teammate Lou Williams, who likewise posted 18 points per game, as well as five assists, and three rebounds for the Los Clippers and Goran Dragic of the Miami Heat.
What do you think Celtics fans? Do you view Marcus Smart as a snub for the 6MOY honor or was Montrezl Harrell a clear cut winner?
Let us known in the comments section!