Smart named Rookie of the Month

[TwinTower14]

Oh this should make him overrated on this board more than he already is. If you take off the green glasses you would see how big of a bust this guy was as the 6th overall pick. Banks 2.0 will be in China within 5 years.

Explain it to me.

Per 40 minutes NCAA stats.

Marcus Smart: 6'3, 220
22 ppg, 42% FG, 30% 3PT, 54% TS, 10 FT/G, 5.8 assist, 3.3 TO, 3.5 steals

Marcus Banks: 6'2, 200
22 ppg, 51% FG, 33% 3PT, 60% TS, 7.4 FT/G, 6.1 assist, 4.4 TO 3.2 steals.

As you can see, Smart is better in FT creation (and less turnovers).
Marcus Banks is more efficient (higher TS%)
Both are not reliable in outside shooting.
Both were awesome defenders with terrific steals numbers.

They are an equal comparison. What you are seeing now is probably the ceiling of Banks 2.0 or close to it in the NBA.

Wow thorough analysis.  Thanks for the college numbers that have no bearing on any of this.

TP for this guy - made me laugh...

[tstorey_97]

Watch the games. Smart has "started" 13 of them? Maybe?

He is different. He has skills others don't.

I got that he isn't an offensive force.

He is a defensive force...you are from Boston, you are a Celtics fan and you know what defense means. Oklahoma City Thunder..."offensive force" to beat the band...stat machine....ooops...no titles.

You need crazy offensive numbers? Look at the little guy playing next to him...that's his gig.

One can't live without the other. 

[D.o.s.]

Oh this should make him overrated on this board more than he already is. If you take off the green glasses you would see how big of a bust this guy was as the 6th overall pick. Banks 2.0 will be in China within 5 years.

Explain it to me.

Per 40 minutes NCAA stats.

Marcus Smart: 6'3, 220
22 ppg, 42% FG, 30% 3PT, 54% TS, 10 FT/G, 5.8 assist, 3.3 TO, 3.5 steals

Marcus Banks: 6'2, 200
22 ppg, 51% FG, 33% 3PT, 60% TS, 7.4 FT/G, 6.1 assist, 4.4 TO 3.2 steals.

As you can see, Smart is better in FT creation (and less turnovers).
Marcus Banks is more efficient (higher TS%)
Both are not reliable in outside shooting.
Both were awesome defenders with terrific steals numbers.

They are an equal comparison. What you are seeing now is probably the ceiling of Banks 2.0 or close to it in the NBA.

Wow thorough analysis.  Thanks for the college numbers that have no bearing on any of this.

TP for this guy - made me laugh...

Same here.

NCAA numbers are 110% suspect, by the way. Too much variation in competition, too short of a season, and about a billion other differences from program to program to make many comparisons worth it.

[Boris Badenov]

I am just surprised that no rookie did better than Smart last month.  I understand now that he is the East rookie of the month, not the NBA rookie of the month so I guess that means he was not competing with Wiggins.  Maybe this is a result of all the rookies being so young as compared to the "old days" when rookies usually had four years of college before being rookies.

Part of the context is that this has been an injury-plagued season for the top picks:

1. Wiggins: healthy
2. Parker: out for year, torn ACL
3. Joel Embiid: out for year, foot
4. Aaron Gordon: missed more than half of season so far, ankle
5. Exum: healthy
6. Smart: mostly healthy
7. Randle: out for year, broken leg
8. Stauskas: out for year, no game

So, other than Smart you have two of the top 8 players who've even been regular contenders for "rookie of the month" - and Exum is not exactly setting the world on fire.

[RAAAAAAAANDY]

32.5 min/g, 35.4 fg%, 26.8 3p%, 61.0 ft%, 4.5 reb, 4.3 asst., 0.3 blk, 1.6 stl, 3.3 f, 2.0 at TO, 9.8 ppg.

That gets you rookie of the month?  I like Smart but that should not be the best month of all rookies.

I think Noel's numbers were slightly better but Smart won because the Celtics won 7 games during the month and the Sixers only won 3 games. 

Noel: 31.5 mpg, 46.8 fg%, 74.5 ft%, 7.3 reb, 1.9 ast, 2.8 blk, 1.7 stl, 3.0 pf, 2.0 to, 10.7 ppg.

Yeah, starting on a more respectable team should matter.

 

For an individual award?

[tazzmaniac]

I am just surprised that no rookie did better than Smart last month.  I understand now that he is the East rookie of the month, not the NBA rookie of the month so I guess that means he was not competing with Wiggins.  Maybe this is a result of all the rookies being so young as compared to the "old days" when rookies usually had four years of college before being rookies.

Part of the context is that this has been an injury-plagued season for the top picks:

1. Wiggins: healthy
2. Parker: out for year, torn ACL
3. Joel Embiid: out for year, foot
4. Aaron Gordon: missed more than half of season so far, ankle
5. Exum: healthy
6. Smart: mostly healthy
7. Randle: out for year, broken leg
8. Stauskas: out for year, no game

So, other than Smart you have two of the top 8 players who've even been regular contenders for "rookie of the month" - and Exum is not exactly setting the world on fire.

Wiggins has won the award every month for the West.  For the East, the winners have been Parker, Mirotic, Payton and Smart.  Noel is also in the mix. 

[libermaniac]

I got that he isn't an offensive force.

He is a defensive force...you are from Boston, you are a Celtics fan and you know what defense means. Oklahoma City Thunder..."offensive force" to beat the band...stat machine....ooops...no titles.

You need crazy offensive numbers? Look at the little guy playing next to him...that's his gig.

One can't live without the other.

What I don't get is that he could be much better offensively if he did what he used to be better at in college (driving to the bucket with his strength), and shied away more from what he's god-awful at ... the outside shot.  He never even tries to drive.  I just don't get it.

[chambers]

I wouldn't worry too much about Smart  this year...his ankle is bothering him and his cardio has suffered because of this.
 
I also think the aim of Danny and Brad this year has been to develop the offense  and particularly the 3 point shot with all the young guys. I think you can see his lack of explosiveness turning the corner and on cuts to the basket which should be very different after a summer off.

I think next season we'll see Smart slim down a bit

[Green-Bananas]

Because he's a rookie and still learning, Marcus is just a tic behind (thinking too much) on offense. Next season he'll be even with it, and year 3 he'll be a tic ahead. That's when we'll see the beginnings of who he really is as a PG. I'm impressed with his progress and maturity so far.

[SHAQATTACK]

Smart has the IQ now that take most players five years or more to  learn.  That last game situation , is the type of thinking many players NEVER have or archive.

He comes with all the intangibles that make the best Bird like stars .

He is only 20 .......he plays like a 27 year old much of the time . 

Wall,,and Irving could score , but just now have developed the IQ to really lead their teams .  Smart is way ahead of the curve .

He is a real court general in the making.   Physical tuff to stay out there , u like the fragile Rose types .
I can see why they are pushing him into starting ......that's where he be most of his career , a starting point guard. 

[2short]

one thing i'd like to add about smart's GREAT defense
for a rookie he doesn't make many silly fouls and already the refs have respect for his defense, they tend  to not call the tick tack fouls on him that most rookies are hit with

[krumeto]

This is from Pelicans blog game preview. Glad to hear Marcus is getting some league-wide attention for his D.

...it’s Smart defense that caught my eye. If I had to describe it with one word, the word I’d pick is loud. It’s a very noticeable defense, based on the people he guards, how he guards them (tenacious) and some of the little things he can do due to his frame, like bowl over screens.

[Eja117]

Marcus is the only player where I can watch him play for almost a whole game and I'm like "Wow. He is killing it. I mean he is dominating this game".  Then I look at the box score and it looks like he played horridly. I don't understand how that happens, and I'm not just talking about his defense.

[jpotter33]

Marcus is the only player where I can watch him play for almost a whole game and I'm like "Wow. He is killing it. I mean he is dominating this game".  Then I look at the box score and it looks like he played horridly. I don't understand how that happens, and I'm not just talking about his defense.

I feel the same way at times. It's probably just our immense hope that he becomes the player we all know and hope he can be!

[Boris Badenov]

Marcus is the only player where I can watch him play for almost a whole game and I'm like "Wow. He is killing it. I mean he is dominating this game".  Then I look at the box score and it looks like he played horridly. I don't understand how that happens, and I'm not just talking about his defense.

Yeah. The advanced metrics are weird too. His net plus-minus is good (+5 or so) but it's all coming from offense, where the Celts score a lot more with him out there than not. On the season, the C's defense is the same in terms of points surrendered whether he's on the court or not.

And his "opponent PER" is listed as 18 - which is on par with KO, Sully and Rondo. NO great shakes. (Crowder's is 10 by comparison).

It's odd, but I'm not complaining. The Celtics are more fun this year than they've been in a long while.