Without their coach, suspended for the season, and without Danilo Gallinari or Robert Williams III, the Celtics got off to a great start. The ground makes it possible to forget the setbacks and this Tuesday, Boston is leader of the NBA with 11 victories in 14 matches. All is not perfect, and some victories are won in pain. Like that night when we had to fight with the young shooters of the Thunder.
Despite the waste, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown played their role as leaders. At their side, every evening, a Lieutenant stands out to bring something extra, and this night, it was about Marcus Smart.
The best defender of the year has made further progress in the pass, and this time he distributed 8 assists on Monday evening, but above all he scored 22 points, including important baskets in the key moments of the match.
“We are a reflection of who he is and his leadership” says Joe Mazzulla. “When he’s in control offensively, creating, getting the ball where it needs to go and making good decisions, we’re a different team offensively. And then defensively, we know what he brings. »
For Marcus Smart, this is the kind of game the Celtics would have lost last season. But since then, there have been the playoffs and especially the Finals, and Boston is sure of its foundations and its collective. The leader is sure of his basketball, and no one doubts him and his qualities.
“I stayed aggressive and realized that I had the upper hand” he comments. “Jayson and Jaylen were rolling, and we all know all eyes will be on them every night. So in times like this there is space for me and I just have to do the right reading. Tonight, I had to score. »
“With Jaylen and Jayson on the pitch, I often find myself with the opposing team’s worst defender on me”
With Marcus Smart more involved in attack, but also jokers like Derrick White or Sam Hauser, the Celtics have the best offense in the country with an efficiency of 118.8 points per 100 possessions. Last season, the team had raised its head and then reached the Finals thanks to its defense. This year, Marcus Smart is taking things a step further on offense, and he explains why.
“With Jaylen and Jayson on the pitch, I often find myself with the opposing team’s worst defender on me. And that’s probably their best scorer.” he points out. “I have to take advantage of it. The fact that I go into the racket causes good things. It’s not just for me, but for the team. »
It shows in the numbers. Marcus Smart is shooting less and less from 3-pointers, and he’s shooting more into the key. In November, he averaged 4.5 3-point attempts per game. It’s less than in October (6 shots on average), and you have to go back to 2019 to find a less greedy Marcus Smart at 3-pointers.
This is undoubtedly one of the keys to Boston’s success, where there is no shortage of shooters, and it allows Marcus Smart to focus on creation and aggression towards the circle.
| Marcus Smart | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2014-15 | BOS | 67 | 27 | 36.7 | 33.5 | 64.6 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 7.8 |
| 2015-16 | BOS | 61 | 27 | 34.8 | 25.3 | 77.7 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 9.2 |
| 2016-17 | BOS | 79 | 30 | 35.9 | 28.3 | 81.2 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 10.6 |
| 2017-18 | BOS | 54 | 30 | 36.7 | 30.1 | 72.9 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 10.2 |
| 2018-19 | BOS | 80 | 28 | 42.2 | 36.4 | 80.6 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 8.9 |
| 2019-20 | BOS | 60 | 32 | 37.5 | 34.7 | 83.6 | 0.7 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 12.9 |
| 2020-21 | BOS | 48 | 33 | 39.8 | 33.0 | 79.0 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 5.7 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 13.1 |
| 2021-22 | BOS | 71 | 32 | 41.8 | 33.1 | 79.3 | 0.6 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 5.9 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 12.1 |
| 2022-23 | BOS | 13 | 33 | 39.5 | 28.6 | 82.6 | 0.2 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 10.5 |
| Total | 533 | 30 | 38.3 | 32.0 | 78.0 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 10.5 | |
