Will Marcus Smart ever shoot 40%? Part 3

[RJ87]

 As I just said in the game thread: have Marcus work with Hakeem Olajuwan this off-season. Really develop a post game.

[celtics2030]

we need him to play something like this

and the rest of the guys to play up to what they are capable

then we will be a tough out

[Ilikesports17]

we need him to play something like this

and the rest of the guys to play up to what they are capable

then we will be a tough out

Like this is asking a lot.

He needs to play like this but go 1/3 from three instead of whatever he did tonight.

Plus a few free throws and some layups and postups.

[CelticGuardian]

Good to see Marcus fired up. There was some fun two-man game sequence between him and AB in the last game too. Can we trust Marcus to perform like this offensively as we would IT4? Obviously not, but Smart has found away to stay on the floor. Despite the heatcheck 3s and the clear absense of elite, or in this case, average scoring instincts, the bashers know just like the fanboys know that he is important to the makeup of this team. The coach plays him a lot more than any other player on the bench.  The on-court relationships indicate that the team members trust Smart with the ball and oddly enough, shooting the ball. No matter if Smart never shoots an acceptable percentage Stevens will make sure you see a lot of him.

[hwangjini_1]

He had six steals tonight and provided defense for a come back...which did not materialize due. To craptastic shooting.

If, as stated above, he shots 1/3 from three point land, gets a couple of  lay ups, and some free throws, that is good enough.

[Dino Pitino]

http://es.pn/2pEiUO9

Without the heaves and other end-of-clock desperation shots, he is shooting close to 40% overall, and his percentage on threes is probably halfway-respectable. His shot isn't broken.

[celtics2030]

http://es.pn/2pEiUO9

Without the heaves and other end-of-clock desperation shots, he is shooting close to 40% overall, and his percentage on threes is probably halfway-respectable. His shot isn't broken.

It's destroyed, not broken.

You are reaching.

[SHAQATTACK]

If he does , then it might ruin the Marcus I like . All guts , heart and hustle.

[Dino Pitino]

http://es.pn/2pEiUO9

Without the heaves and other end-of-clock desperation shots, he is shooting close to 40% overall, and his percentage on threes is probably halfway-respectable. His shot isn't broken.

It's destroyed, not broken.

You are reaching.

You don't actually watch the games, do you?

[Sketch5]

http://es.pn/2pEiUO9

Without the heaves and other end-of-clock desperation shots, he is shooting close to 40% overall, and his percentage on threes is probably halfway-respectable. His shot isn't broken.

It's destroyed, not broken.

You are reaching.

You don't actually watch the games, do you?

I was wondering about this, he seems to have the ball at the end of the shot clock, especially when he's with the second unit. I bet he takes 2 or 3 of those a game.

BUT, his low shooting percentage helps DA when it comes to negotiation of his next contracts. It's all part of the plan.

[celtics2030]

http://es.pn/2pEiUO9

Without the heaves and other end-of-clock desperation shots, he is shooting close to 40% overall, and his percentage on threes is probably halfway-respectable. His shot isn't broken.

It's destroyed, not broken.

You are reaching.

You don't actually watch the games, do you?

I was wondering about this, he seems to have the ball at the end of the shot clock, especially when he's with the second unit. I bet he takes 2 or 3 of those a game.

BUT, his low shooting percentage helps DA when it comes to negotiation of his next contracts. It's all part of the plan.

How many years of excuses do you want for a player that cannot shoot even 40 percent?

Do we chalk up every year of historically bad shooting as "heaves" at end of quarters?

Maybe he just sucks at doing anything else but throwing up bad three pointers.

He can't seem to get to the basket either.

Everybody knows what Smart does to help win

but offense is not one of them. Especially shooting.

Thankfully he is solid at PG

[droopdog7]

http://es.pn/2pEiUO9

Without the heaves and other end-of-clock desperation shots, he is shooting close to 40% overall, and his percentage on threes is probably halfway-respectable. His shot isn't broken.

Both the article and you are reaching.  First, an end of clock shot is certainly not a desperation shot.  I get the heaves over half court, but I'm not lumping every shot at the end of the shot clock in with those.  Second, I wish the author would have given the percentage of shots toward the end of the clock minus the heaves.  For we know, his percentage is no worse on those than the rest of his shots.  Third, if we're going to any shot wit a whopping 7 seconds left on the clock, are we going to eliminate his breakaway or open lay ups too?  Why not?  I mean, I'm pretty sure I can hit those too. Fourth, if shooting at the end of the clock is indeed worse, let's go ahead and take those out of everyone's percentage. And finally, and very importantly, if he's getting too many bad end of shot clock shots, he the ****' point guard.  A lot of that is on him.

So we can massage the numbers all we want.  But really, what we're doing is trying to determine whether he is the worse volume shooter/offensive player of all time or not.  Anything approaching acceptable is not even part of the discussion.

[Dino Pitino]

http://es.pn/2pEiUO9

Without the heaves and other end-of-clock desperation shots, he is shooting close to 40% overall, and his percentage on threes is probably halfway-respectable. His shot isn't broken.

Both the article and you are reaching.  First, an end of clock shot is certainly not a desperation shot.  I get the heaves over half court, but I'm not lumping every shot at the end of the shot clock in with those.  Second, I wish the author would have given the percentage of shots toward the end of the clock minus the heaves.  For we know, his percentage is no worse on those than the rest of his shots.  Third, if we're going to any shot wit a whopping 7 seconds left on the clock, are we going to eliminate his breakaway or open lay ups too?  Why not?  I mean, I'm pretty sure I can hit those too. Fourth, if shooting at the end of the clock is indeed worse, let's go ahead and take those out of everyone's percentage. And finally, and very importantly, if he's getting too many bad end of shot clock shots, he the ****' point guard.  A lot of that is on him.

So we can massage the numbers all we want.  But really, what we're doing is trying to determine whether he is the worse volume shooter/offensive player of all time or not.  Anything approaching acceptable is not even part of the discussion.

It's not massaging the numbers. It's bringing an understanding based on actually watching Marcus Smart in actual games to the numbers. People who actually watch the games without an unshakeable lens of anti-Smart bias know that Smart takes an inordinate number of desperation shots. Those people went looking for the evidence of that in the numbers, and while nothing quite corresponds, the evidence that IS there suggests that what we who actually watch him play see is actually there, i.e., his shooting actually HAS improved, but his numbers are being dragged down by desperation shots. No, not every shot he takes at the very end of the clock is a desperation shot, in general. But the ones Marcus takes? Yeah, most of them are. It's what we see in the game. He's not Isaiah who's expected to have the ball at the end of the clock. If Smart is shooting the ball with a second left, that's almost always a desperation shot resulting from a broken playcall.

He is ABSOLUTELY not the worse volume shooter/offensive player of all time. Only someone who interacts with the sport ONLY via Basketball Reference would even think to bring him up in that conversation.

[droopdog7]

http://es.pn/2pEiUO9

Without the heaves and other end-of-clock desperation shots, he is shooting close to 40% overall, and his percentage on threes is probably halfway-respectable. His shot isn't broken.

Both the article and you are reaching.  First, an end of clock shot is certainly not a desperation shot.  I get the heaves over half court, but I'm not lumping every shot at the end of the shot clock in with those.  Second, I wish the author would have given the percentage of shots toward the end of the clock minus the heaves.  For we know, his percentage is no worse on those than the rest of his shots.  Third, if we're going to any shot wit a whopping 7 seconds left on the clock, are we going to eliminate his breakaway or open lay ups too?  Why not?  I mean, I'm pretty sure I can hit those too. Fourth, if shooting at the end of the clock is indeed worse, let's go ahead and take those out of everyone's percentage. And finally, and very importantly, if he's getting too many bad end of shot clock shots, he the ****' point guard.  A lot of that is on him.

So we can massage the numbers all we want.  But really, what we're doing is trying to determine whether he is the worse volume shooter/offensive player of all time or not.  Anything approaching acceptable is not even part of the discussion.

It's not massaging the numbers. It's bringing an understanding based on actually watching Marcus Smart in actual games to the numbers. People who actually watch the games without an unshakeable lens of anti-Smart bias know that Smart takes an inordinate number of desperation shots. Those people went looking for the evidence of that in the numbers, and while nothing quite corresponds, the evidence that IS there suggests that what we who actually watch him play see is actually there, i.e., his shooting actually HAS improved, but his numbers are being dragged down by desperation shots. No, not every shot he takes at the very end of the clock is a desperation shot, in general. But the ones Marcus takes? Yeah, most of them are. It's what we see in the game. He's not Isaiah who's expected to have the ball at the end of the clock. If Smart is shooting the ball with a second left, that's almost always a desperation shot resulting from a broken playcall.

He is ABSOLUTELY not the worse volume shooter/offensive player of all time. Only someone who interacts with the sport ONLY via Basketball Reference would even think to bring him up in that conversation.

Okay, so tell me; how does Marcus rank in terms of number of desperation shots compared to everyone in the league?  How about everyone who has ever played?  Oh, you don't know.  Okay, how about smarts under seven second shots compared to say, IT?  Oh, don't know that either?

The issue, ignoring the fact that you ignored my comment that he is most responsible for type of shots he and his teammates get, is that we removing these so-called bad shots for and he he can't get to **** 40%.  That's a huge WOW! 

[Dino Pitino]

If Smart starts shooting around 33-35% from three and closer to or above 40 overall while keeping his FT% at or above 80, all while ably taking a share of point guard duties, then he becomes a significant asset on offense, right? I think that'll happen as soon as next season. Maybe sooner, might even see him raise his game like that in the small sample of a playoffs series or two. If you see the Celtics winning a series or two, can you imagine them doing it without Smart basically winning a couple games with gamechanging clutchness? I can't.

Thanks to last night, in the small sample of this postseason, his 3pt% is 41.3%, lol.