FN says Boston Celtics should have signed John Wall since Marcus Smart isn’t a true point guard

FanNation’s Ben Stinar recently went out on a limb and said that the Boston Celtics should have signed John Wall in free agency this past offseason. The reason is one that will make Cs fans want to bang their heads against the wall — because Marcus Smart is supposedly not a true point guard.

While Smart struggled in the full-time floor general position Kemba Walker’s departure forced him into during the first 57 games of the season, he eventually settled in and ran an offense whose 28.7 assists per game would rank fourth and whose 12.3 turnovers would rank second in the NBA in the final 35 contests of the 2021-22 campaign (h/t CelticsBlog).

Most importantly, Smart’s presence at point guard coincided with the Celtics finally getting over the hump in the Eastern Conference after falling in the postseason’s penultimate round twice in the three playoffs prior.

While Wall at one point could have been an intriguing addition for the taxpayer’s mid-level exception, and he was even one that Hardwood Houdini suggested, one particular move this offseason made going in a different direction and signing Danilo Gallinari with the TPMLE a no-brainer.

The Boston Celtics trading for Malcolm Brogdon should have quelled any point guard worries

Perhaps one of the most absurd points Stinar made was that ‘it would have been even better’ had they signed John Wall instead of trading for Malcolm Brogdon because they wouldn’t have had to give up any assets to do so.

For one, only the 2023 first-round pick traded in the Brogdon deal could truly be considered an asset of value. Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations surely isn’t losing sleep over dealing away Daniel Theis just as his predecessor Danny Ainge did and can’t be upset if Aaron Nesmith breaks out in Indiana given his struggles in a Cs uniform his first two seasons in the league.

Another reason the argument is flawed is because we don’t even know what Wall’s level of play is at this point since he has not played in 18 months. With that said, the last time he did play he was effective.

Wall could prove to be the perfect gamble for the Los Angeles Clippers if his severe mental struggles manifest into motivation to move the needle for his new home — which just so happens to be a potential contender given its loaded roster and key injury return of Kawhi Leonard. With that said, it’s ridiculous to doubt whether or not Brogdon was the right choice to add PG depth to the roster.

And it’s simply ignorant to continue pushing the narrative that Marcus Smart isn’t a true point guard at this point given the evidence to the contrary we have seen from the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.