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Marcus smart espn7/23/2023 ![]() Smart said players have an open dialogue with Mazzulla and he allows them to come to him with suggestions. Mazzulla has caught criticism throughout this second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers - for his timeout management at the end of Boston's Game 4 loss and after the Celtics were routed at home in Game 5 to fall behind 3-2 in the series. "Even if they make a mistake, they don't let it deter him. The great players, the great coaches, they're able to learn. That's the fun of taking the criticism and moving on, being coachable, being able to learn. If it doesn't, then obviously you have to look at it. "At the end of the day it's his decision," Smart said. But Smart continued to remain supportive of Mazzulla's decision-making. Smart used that lineup change to note that Mazzulla, the Celtics' 34-year-old first-year coach, was still learning. Celtics players responded to the change with roaring approval, including Smart, who said he was ecstatic about the switch. With their season on the line in Game 6, the Celtics made a critical adjustment by inserting Robert Williams III into the starting lineup and going back to the unit they used most of last season on the way to an appearance in the NBA Finals. And that's with certain things that he might do or might not do." "Joe's not on the court, so he gets held accountable differently than we do. "Rightfully so in the fact that just like us when we go out there and we don't play a good game, or we don't do things we know we're capable of and we should be doing, we get held accountable," Smart said after practice Saturday afternoon. Marcus Smart: Joe Mazzulla showing ability to 'learn' amid criticismīOSTON - Celtics guard Marcus Smart provided further clarity on his pointed comments following Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, when he said coach Joe Mazzulla has "rightfully" faced criticism in his first year leading the team. That will only continue next season, regardless of where he ranks.Ģ023 NBA Draft Hub: See complete draft results and grades for every first round pick.You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser ![]() Smart is one of the key players for Boston in large part because he constantly thrives in areas where his teammates may not, such as hustle and defense. In addition to effort, that also requires strong pattern recognition from Smart, who excels at gambling defensively when the odds are in his favor.ĭefensive awareness and basketball IQ are certainly two of Smart’s strengths, with his play recognition making him the basketball version of a middle linebacker or free safety even, considering his ability to intercept passes, No regular starter expends more energy on defense than Smart, who seems to will himself into position to thwart opponents’ plays. Here’s what ESPN’s Kevin Pelton had to say about Smart: He shot a career-high three-point percentage of 36.4, never having shot above 33.5 percent from three since his rookie season, and a career-high 42.2 percent from the field.Īll while continuing to play excellent defense (in fact, he averaged a career-high 1.8 steals per game on his way to his first All-Defensive team selection), providing invaluable hustle and being an emotional leader.įurthermore, Smart continues to show off his court vision and passing ability, although his decision-making with the ball in his hands isn’t always faultless. Smart played a career-high 80 games and started in a career-high 60 games he had never started in more than 56.8 percent of his games before last season and that was in his rookie season. After being ranked as the 54th-best player in the NBA in the 2018-19 season, ESPN has ranked Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart as the 87th-best player in the NBA in the 2019-20 season, a surprising drop for a player who only improved in what was his fifth season in the league.
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