I really like Smart, but how does this happen?

[LilRip]

He's my favorite player on this team, no question, but he has a very poor touch around the hoop. Honestly, I'm more comfortable with Smart taking a set 3 pointer off a pass than a layup. I sincerely hope he improves on this in the offseason. He's already got enough handles to get in the lane.

[manl_lui]

He's my favorite player on this team, no question, but he has a very poor touch around the hoop. Honestly, I'm more comfortable with Smart taking a set 3 pointer off a pass than a layup. I sincerely hope he improves on this in the offseason. He's already got enough handles to get in the lane.

i'm usually on the "he doesn't need to lose weight" train, given he is all muscle. But I do think it is hindering his speed a little bit, I am curious to see what he will do in the offseason, if he going to cut? but another part of me is wondering, if he loses the weight, gets quicker would that hinder his defense on bigs?

[Ilikesports17]

Last night was bad. He has 0 explosion. He's completely grounded and can't blow by anyone.

Maybe tommy is right and he got fat

Starting to think it's possible. He's never been explosive going to the hoop, but since the all star break he's been stuck in quicksand.

[Ilikesports17]

He's my favorite player on this team, no question, but he has a very poor touch around the hoop. Honestly, I'm more comfortable with Smart taking a set 3 pointer off a pass than a layup. I sincerely hope he improves on this in the offseason. He's already got enough handles to get in the lane.

i'm usually on the "he doesn't need to lose weight" train, given he is all muscle. But I do think it is hindering his speed a little bit, I am curious to see what he will do in the offseason, if he going to cut? but another part of me is wondering, if he loses the weight, gets quicker would that hinder his defense on bigs?

I believe this offseason we will see Bradley traded and Fultz brought in. This will require Marcus to guard more of the point guards and quicker players AB used to guard. I hope the Celtics in turn encourage Marcus to slim down.

[Chris22]

Smart always has to take the shot with the shot clock running down, and he gets fouled all the time, and never gets a call.

This is one of the more hilarious, misguided narratives that keeps coming up.  He's a terrible offensive player all on his own.  He doesn't get fouled.  Just looks like it because he simply cannot finish.

Not really. I never said he was a good offensive player. But he does get fouled a lot with no call.

[Roy H.]

The thing is, he wasn't a bad finisher in college:

Strengths: ... Uses his mixture of quickness, strength, instincts, and aggressiveness to get to the rim, then uses his big frame and excellent body control to finish through contact

[Tr1boy]

Last night was bad. He has 0 explosion. He's completely grounded and can't blow by anyone.

Maybe tommy is right and he got fat

Starting to think it's possible. He's never been explosive going to the hoop, but since the all star break he's been stuck in quicksand.

He needs a headstart...needs space to get decent lift

When driving in ...not only does he have a poor 1st step...he "projects" his jump a mile away

By the time he is ready for a layup there are three guys waiting for him... With a grin

Cavs laid off of him yesterday...Lebron with his 4 fouls was guarding him not even breaking a sweat.

CBS should have taken him out in the 4th and inserted Green. Maybe even give Young a try. Offense was so stagnant. Killed the Celts

[Donoghus]

It is extremely frustrating to see him missing at the rim.  Especially if you had watched him at all during his OSU days.   His touch at the rim is pretty atrocious.

Frustrating but I'm certainly not ready to ship the kid out of town.

[Ilikesports17]

Last night was bad. He has 0 explosion. He's completely grounded and can't blow by anyone.

Maybe tommy is right and he got fat

Starting to think it's possible. He's never been explosive going to the hoop, but since the all star break he's been stuck in quicksand.

He needs a headstart...needs space to get decent lift

When driving in ...not only does he have a poor 1st step...he "projects" his jump a mile away

By the time he is ready for a layup there are three guys waiting for him... With a grin

Cavs laid off of him yesterday...Lebron with his 4 fouls was guarding him not even breaking a sweat.

CBS should have taken him out in the 4th and inserted Green. Maybe even give Young a try. Offense was so stagnant. Killed the Celts

Problem is that when Marcus isnt in, the ball doesnt move quite as well.

I just went back and watched his OSU highlights and he was MUCH slimmer and quicker there.

Now he still didnt look like a guy who could explode to the rim and finish over NBA defenders with regularity, but he did look a lot quicker.

[Ilikesports17]

Also, as frustrating as his scoring was last night, I thought he ran the offense really well and was our best defensive player again.

I wasnt at all surprised to see him with a team best -1 +/-.

He played 40 minutes. In the 40 minutes he played we were more or less even. In the 8 he didnt play, Kyrie dominated and we had no ball movement. That was the ball game.

[manl_lui]

He's my favorite player on this team, no question, but he has a very poor touch around the hoop. Honestly, I'm more comfortable with Smart taking a set 3 pointer off a pass than a layup. I sincerely hope he improves on this in the offseason. He's already got enough handles to get in the lane.

i'm usually on the "he doesn't need to lose weight" train, given he is all muscle. But I do think it is hindering his speed a little bit, I am curious to see what he will do in the offseason, if he going to cut? but another part of me is wondering, if he loses the weight, gets quicker would that hinder his defense on bigs?

I believe this offseason we will see Bradley traded and Fultz brought in. This will require Marcus to guard more of the point guards and quicker players AB used to guard. I hope the Celtics in turn encourage Marcus to slim down.

hmm, while I don't disagree that we might or will eventually trade them, I personally rather keep them for another year, run it back and be patient...it'll only help Fultz (if we do draft him) if we have two of best defenders in the NBA hounding him at practice. It'll only make him that much better if he struggles to score in practice then gets put in a game where defense is more relaxed...just my opinion, and not to mention we're not in much of a hurry

[jambr380]

Anybody who says that Marcus has no lift simply has no idea what they are talking about. The video below is from a couple of years ago, but just two games ago he had a classic Marcus rebound throw-down. I think it has a lot more to do with his technique going to the hoop than his athletic limitations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuyD3JOwnug

And, yes, I get it, Marcus has put on a few pounds, but it's not like he is Sully or anything.

[Donoghus]

I really don't think Smart's weight is the problem.

[Roy H.]

It is extremely frustrating to see him missing at the rim.  Especially if you had watched him at all during his OSU days.   His touch at the rim is pretty atrocious.

Frustrating but I'm certainly not ready to ship the kid out of town.

Right? Am I crazy, or was he really good at finishing in college? It's one of the reasons I was high on him: he attacked the rim.

[johnnygreen]

Smart needs to just go back to basics regarding his mechanics. It seems like virtually every time he shoots, he's acting like a 10 year superstar player that is flopping offensively to get a foul call. What Smart fails to realize is that those veterans pick their spots to act like their fouled. He's constantly throwing himself into defenders, kicking his legs out, or lowering his shoulder, which is to the point where he is almost always off balance when he shoots. I would just like to see him concentrate on making the shot first, and if the foul comes, then that's a bonus. When he is shooting free throws (and not worrying about drawing a foul), he was able to make 81% this season. That tells me that he does have the ability to shoot.