Author Topic: Lowe on Marcus Smart's Passing  (Read 5243 times)

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Lowe on Marcus Smart's Passing
« on: December 15, 2017, 02:09:30 PM »

Offline Big333223

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Marcus made Zach Lowe's "Ten Things" list this week.

Quote
It's an NBA riddle: How can a wing shooting 32 percent end up on the positive side of the plus-minus ledger every night? Boston fans would point to Smart's bullying, chest-to-chest defense, and the balls-to-the-wall plays -- flying in from nowhere for rebounds and saves -- that inspire teammates. (Many of those fans would wish not to consider the possibility that some of those plus-minus numbers are random noise that comes with playing on a very good team, and that historically bad shooting is harmful on certain nights.)

The debate has given short shrift to Smart's passing -- a must for any non-shooter who has the ball so much. Smart has grown in that department every year. He was wild and uncertain at first. By last season, he had mastered the simple stuff -- obvious drive-and-kick reads, pick-and-pop passes to Al Horford.

Now, he's thinking one step ahead, manipulating defenses:

...

Smart's swing pass kicks off that sequence. When the ball gets back to him, Smart drives with a purpose: He knows he can toast Malcolm Brogdon, and that if he does, Marcus Morris will fade to the corner. A bigger guard who can run the offense provides crucial roster flexibility.

Smart's free agency this summer will be fascinating. The league doesn't quite know what to do with him. He's a polarizing player. Given Boston's financial commitments to Horford, Gordon Hayward, and Kyrie Irving -- plus the play of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, both ahead of Smart now in the organizational pecking order -- a rich offer sheet could present Boston with a thorny dilemma.
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Re: Lowe on Marcus Smart's Passing
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2017, 02:12:04 PM »

Offline More Banners

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Looks like Zach Lowe has been reading cb.

Re: Lowe on Marcus Smart's Passing
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2017, 02:39:47 PM »

Offline mef730

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Did anyone else see the headline and worry that Marcus had died?

Mike

Re: Lowe on Marcus Smart's Passing
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2017, 03:00:07 PM »

Offline JohnBoy65

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Did anyone else see the headline and worry that Marcus had died?

Mike

Funny, TP Sir!

Re: Lowe on Marcus Smart's Passing
« Reply #4 on: December 15, 2017, 03:11:37 PM »

Offline Monkhouse

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His 27.9 assist ratio is a career high, and when you look at his offensive numbers with passing Smart jumps from the 7th percentile to the 51st. Smart has a career-high usage rate, and the problem with that is it has led to a career-high turnover ratio at 14.
 
This is a take the good with the bad scenarios. Stevens will live with some Smart turnovers because he knows he will make some great passes as well. Here is the number that sums it up. Smarts assist to usage percentage according to Cleaningtheglass.com is 1.10, one of the best marks among all guards. His turnover percentage is 16.8 percent, one of the worst marks among all guards. But despite the turnovers, Smart always makes the extra pass.

The Celtics are 9.6 points better when MS-36 is on the floor. Smart accounts for 36% of our total assists as a team, so you can make the educated guess and assume Smart's contributions on the floor, via defense, passing, screen-assisting, and intangibles cannot be defined.
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Re: Lowe on Marcus Smart's Passing
« Reply #5 on: December 15, 2017, 03:19:32 PM »

Offline wvcelticsfan

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Did anyone else see the headline and worry that Marcus had died?

Mike

YES! I almost had a heart attack myself.

Re: Lowe on Marcus Smart's Passing
« Reply #6 on: December 15, 2017, 04:06:23 PM »

Offline mmmmm

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Quote
His 27.9 assist ratio is a career high, and when you look at his offensive numbers with passing Smart jumps from the 7th percentile to the 51st. Smart has a career-high usage rate, and the problem with that is it has led to a career-high turnover ratio at 14.
 
This is a take the good with the bad scenarios. Stevens will live with some Smart turnovers because he knows he will make some great passes as well. Here is the number that sums it up. Smarts assist to usage percentage according to Cleaningtheglass.com is 1.10, one of the best marks among all guards. His turnover percentage is 16.8 percent, one of the worst marks among all guards. But despite the turnovers, Smart always makes the extra pass.

The Celtics are 9.6 points better when MS-36 is on the floor. Smart accounts for 36% of our total assists as a team, so you can make the educated guess and assume Smart's contributions on the floor, via defense, passing, screen-assisting, and intangibles cannot be defined.

Weeeell ... yes ... so long as Al Horford is also on the floor.

When Smart has been on the floor while Al has not, the net rating has been a mere +0.4 points per 100.  The team TS% drops to just 50% in that configuration.
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Re: Lowe on Marcus Smart's Passing
« Reply #7 on: December 15, 2017, 04:09:32 PM »

Offline FatKidsDad

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Did anyone else see the headline and worry that Marcus had died?

Mike

YES! I almost had a heart attack myself.
Same here
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Re: Lowe on Marcus Smart's Passing
« Reply #8 on: December 15, 2017, 04:14:47 PM »

Offline Monkhouse

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Quote
His 27.9 assist ratio is a career high, and when you look at his offensive numbers with passing Smart jumps from the 7th percentile to the 51st. Smart has a career-high usage rate, and the problem with that is it has led to a career-high turnover ratio at 14.
 
This is a take the good with the bad scenarios. Stevens will live with some Smart turnovers because he knows he will make some great passes as well. Here is the number that sums it up. Smarts assist to usage percentage according to Cleaningtheglass.com is 1.10, one of the best marks among all guards. His turnover percentage is 16.8 percent, one of the worst marks among all guards. But despite the turnovers, Smart always makes the extra pass.

The Celtics are 9.6 points better when MS-36 is on the floor. Smart accounts for 36% of our total assists as a team, so you can make the educated guess and assume Smart's contributions on the floor, via defense, passing, screen-assisting, and intangibles cannot be defined.

Weeeell ... yes ... so long as Al Horford is also on the floor.

When Smart has been on the floor while Al has not, the net rating has been a mere +0.4 points per 100.  The team TS% drops to just 50% in that configuration.

Ah, I see. I guess I was looking at the wrong stats. Imagine if Smart could at least shoot the 3 above 35%.... Sigh...
"I bomb atomically, Socrates' philosophies and hypotheses
Can't define how I be dropping these mockeries."

Is the glass half-full or half-empty?
It's based on your perspective, quite simply
We're the same and we're not; know what I'm saying? Listen
Son, I ain't better than you, I just think different

Re: Lowe on Marcus Smart's Passing
« Reply #9 on: December 15, 2017, 04:29:27 PM »

Offline fairweatherfan

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For all Marcus' good and bad traits and all the chatter they get, it seems like we almost never talk about his court vision.

It seems like he's always got his eye on a play he could make, whether the opportunity pans out or not. With the ball in particular but off the ball too. Lets him snap us right into a scoring opportunity when the defense slips even a little. Really underrated aspect of his game.

Re: Lowe on Marcus Smart's Passing
« Reply #10 on: December 15, 2017, 05:57:38 PM »

Offline kozlodoev

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For all Marcus' good and bad traits and all the chatter they get, it seems like we almost never talk about his court vision.

It seems like he's always got his eye on a play he could make, whether the opportunity pans out or not. With the ball in particular but off the ball too. Lets him snap us right into a scoring opportunity when the defense slips even a little. Really underrated aspect of his game.
That because the great passes get lost between all the boneheaded plays.
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Re: Lowe on Marcus Smart's Passing
« Reply #11 on: December 15, 2017, 06:31:16 PM »

Offline Boris Badenov

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Quote
His 27.9 assist ratio is a career high, and when you look at his offensive numbers with passing Smart jumps from the 7th percentile to the 51st. Smart has a career-high usage rate, and the problem with that is it has led to a career-high turnover ratio at 14.
 
This is a take the good with the bad scenarios. Stevens will live with some Smart turnovers because he knows he will make some great passes as well. Here is the number that sums it up. Smarts assist to usage percentage according to Cleaningtheglass.com is 1.10, one of the best marks among all guards. His turnover percentage is 16.8 percent, one of the worst marks among all guards. But despite the turnovers, Smart always makes the extra pass.

The Celtics are 9.6 points better when MS-36 is on the floor. Smart accounts for 36% of our total assists as a team, so you can make the educated guess and assume Smart's contributions on the floor, via defense, passing, screen-assisting, and intangibles cannot be defined.

Weeeell ... yes ... so long as Al Horford is also on the floor.

When Smart has been on the floor while Al has not, the net rating has been a mere +0.4 points per 100.  The team TS% drops to just 50% in that configuration.

Relative to what though? When Al's off the floor overall we have a -3 net rating.

So doesn't the fact that we are +0.4 in that scenario when Smart plays mean that he improves those lineups too?

Re: Lowe on Marcus Smart's Passing
« Reply #12 on: December 15, 2017, 07:35:33 PM »

Offline Big333223

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Did anyone else see the headline and worry that Marcus had died?

Mike

YES! I almost had a heart attack myself.
Same here
lol

My bad.
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Re: Lowe on Marcus Smart's Passing
« Reply #13 on: December 15, 2017, 07:55:39 PM »

Offline ThePaintedArea

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Did anyone else see the headline and worry that Marcus had died?

Mike

 :laugh: ;D ;)

Re: Lowe on Marcus Smart's Passing
« Reply #14 on: December 15, 2017, 08:26:35 PM »

Offline Greyman

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Did anyone else see the headline and worry that Marcus had died?

Mike

Thank you for brightening my day.  :D