It's unfortunate Marcus Smart has recently tailed off for outside shooting. When he piles up a lot of 2-9's, it makes it tough to stick up for him. But he has made advances, enough to suggest he will keep making Bradley styled leaps but in his own way.
Smart is already in the Hall of Fame tier for defense.
I like that he hits his free throws. He has taken too many three pointers or not been good enough at them to justify the shots. But people watching actual games can see he can hold a guy off his hip, can muscle around the rim like D Wade.
I'd like to be able to cherry pick a pool of stats when Marcus was having his best stretch.
It was doubtful he had backup pg skills until this year. That's a leap. Rozier is good too for potential. He is the perfect fourth guard and we have Green and Brown for big shooting guards.
Avery was getting cringe worthy at times, but then it obviously was rust as he was making big plays on defense.
Smart gets ripped off for stats, too, when he becomes the designated loser to take last second heaves.
There is such a thing as intangibles. This I believe. I bet we are doing well in the hockey assist category.
Yes, take the shot if it is there. Orlando with Dwight Howard went with a live or die with three pointers strategy. It was effective, but we were better than them, then Howard starting switching teams. The center position evolved very quickly.
So it is becoming less about stats than in team wins. Mike Gorman after one game rattled off a few Celtics who carried us, and then he said and finished with Marcus Smart was Marcus Smart.
For all intents and purposes, Olynyk, Smart, and Crowder are making leaps.
I hope we keep winning a lot of games with no big injuries.
Jaylen Brown could be the wild card. I believe in this team.