Trade Marcus Smart
After some rambunctious straw polling on Twitter I have deliberated that this is not a popular opinion.
The newest trade rumors circling the Celtics are Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier for some combination of picks and a young player from the Celtics. That said young player is rumored to be Marcus Smart. We also have the rumors that the Hawks were interested in Marcus Smart for some wild trade involving John Collins and Bogdonovic. The latter is not going to happen. Atlanta is the hottest team in the NBA and 4th in the East. Collins and Bogdonovic are key pieces there. Frankly I don’t think the Aaron Gordon deal is getting done either. Danny has been fully neutered by Kyrie Irving. Trader Danny is gone.
Danny, like 1/2 of the delusional Green Teamers out there values Marcus Smart like he’s Isaiah Thomas. The good one. No, the really good one. Dream Team snub Isiah Thomas.
Save me the ball washing for Smart. Yes, He was a 2nd all defensive player last year. He has at times in his career been one of the best on ball defenders in the NBA. He hustles and takes charges. He is the energy guy. A glue guy. He also has missed his last 21 4th quarter 3 pointers.
He carries into the 4th quarter of every game an “Allen Iverson syndrome”. This has been going on for years. We attributed it to him growing into his role and learning to pick his spots, yadda, yadda, yadda. The guy has been in the league for 7 seasons. This is who he is and news flash the defense and hustle plays don’t get better from here.
And spare me this Marcus Smart is the heart and sole of the Celtics. Why? Because he has been here the longest and is demonstrative? Just two seasons ago he missed a chunk of the season because he punched a piece of glass angry over some Instagram model. Marcus has always been an immature player dating to his time at Oklahoma State and although we have seen some natural development that comes with age, his game has not kept up.
Smart is not going to change, even after his uneven performance for the Celtics in the NBA Bubble. He shot 39.4 percent in 17 Celtics playoff games, with 62 percent of his attempts being 3-pointers.
He attempted more 3-pointers in the playoffs than Jaylen Brown and just three fewer than Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker. And in the pivotal Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Miami Heat, Smart attempted a game-high 13 3-pointers, including several that may have been deemed questionable as the Celtics were trying to rally.
Now you got me bashing Marcus Smart. I don’t want to do that. I don’t hate him. He is a Quagmire. And I don’t even care for Aaron Gordon that much, but this team needs a shake up and Smart is your biggest trade piece. It’s time for a change. If you can keep him and somehow add an Aaron Gordon, more power to you but I’m sick of the fucking hero ball 3’s and outrageous flops from a guy who is supposed to be your defense heartbeat. Moving on from Marcus Smart is not going to drastically change the course of the Celtics.