3 Boston Celtics players that must have a strong second-half of season

Boston Celtics player No. 3) Marcus Smart

More often than not, fans think of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown when it comes to the discussion of who are the most impactful players currently on the C’s roster.

Now, while these two are undeniably the focal points of this team, not so far behind them we find another 20-something veteran who, when producing at his best, is simply invaluable to the team’s success.

Marcus Smart, also known as the heart and soul of Boston Celtics basketball, has always been a player who can lose you a game just as easily as he can win you one, and, as of late, he’s been aiding considerably in the latter department.

Since he made his return to the court on January 23rd after being sidelined for two weeks, he has been playing some of his best ball of the season which, as a result, Boston has gone 12-1 during the games he played prior to the All-Star break.

During the final eight-game stretch leading up to the break, Smart was producing at a high-end level seemingly everywhere on the hardwood, putting up averages of 13.9 points, 4.9 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals on 49 percent shooting from the floor and 35 percent shooting from deep while boasting a +13.8 plus-minus rating along the way.

Of course, this is in stark contrast to his up-and-down production prior to the team’s surprise flip of the switch stretch run post-New Year’s Day, where he was putting up just 11.3 points and 5.5 assists on 40 percent shooting from the floor and a miserable 28 percent shooting from deep while sporting just a 2.5 plus-minus rating (frankly, we were shocked to find it was even this high for, frankly, his play oftentimes was that lackluster).

As we all know, the Celtics were owners of a sub-.500 record of 17-19 at this time.

It is quite apparent, both from the eye test as well as from the information provided above, that Marcus Smart’s production on the floor has a major impact on Boston’s success rate and, should this team wish to finish off the regular season on a high note, the point guard must continue to have himself a strong showing during this upcoming second-half.