![]() ![]() His shooting splits of 47-44-92 are, in a word, ridiculous. In 10 games since the break, Smart is averaging 15 points, a shade above seven assists, and a touch below four boards. Just as Tatum has looked unstoppable since the All-Star break, Smart has looked like an evolved version of himself on the offensive end. Boston flipped its script after a shaky start to the year the same must be said of its players. (Or, Marcus Smart doing Marcus Smart things.) Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Imagesīut you can’t talk about Boston’s season without discussing the fact that there have essentially been two of them. A recolorized still from 1984’s The Karate Kid. Over the last three seasons, he’s done exactly that - maintained his averages, never exceeding them nor allowing them to plummet, and constantly exerting his energetic presence on both ends. He’s steadily improved as an offensive player, but for Smart, steady improvement has always meant finding consistency. He’s averaging 12.2 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. No longer is he merely someone opponents don’t want to see in front of them on defense he’s grown into a serious threat on the other end, too.īy the looks of it, Smart’s season has been rather run of the mill by his standards. What doesn’t get as much notice is his offensive ability, which has steadily improved over the course of his career and has reached new heights at various points throughout this season. Whatever comes with it, I’m blessed to have.”Īnd the Celtics have been winning games thanks in part to Smart, but not solely because of his defense. As does Smart, who backed it up, saying, “I play to win games, that’s my job. Awarded or not, the NBA and its viewers know that to be factual. There’s probably not a better defensive guard in the league than Smart, and there’s almost certainly not one who works as hard and plays as consistently as he does on the defensive end. ![]() “You put me out there in front of anybody, I promise it’s gone be a battle and I promise they don’t want to see me in front of them.”īut we’ve known this for quite some time. “I think my game speaks for itself,” he said over the weekend. That’s 18 points below the league’s average offensive rating of 111.3. Thanks in large part to his tenacity and raw penchant for being an irritant, the Celtics’ starters are allowing just 93.8 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass. He is Boston’s anchor, through and through, from a vibe standpoint and a defensive one. Their run as the league’s best defensive team isn’t possible without Smart’s play. I know it's been big men lately but they gotta go back to the guards"- crashed Marcus Smart's interview with to let it be known ☘️ /sdXU8UKLMf- Celtics on NBC Sports Boston March 17, 2022Ĭhin undoubtedly knows this to be true, or at least a serious possibility, as should anyone who has watched a lick of Celtics’ basketball since the top of the year. All rights reserved."This the Defensive Player of the Year. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information / Your California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. ^ Back to Top ^ © 2023 ESPN Internet Ventures. Prior winners also include Thaddeus Young, Patrick Beverley, Amir Johnson and Montrezl Harrell. Smart, who won the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award last year, has long been considered one of the NBA's hardest-working defenders, and is constantly throwing his body around on the court. ![]() Players were only eligible for the award if they played at least 24 minutes per game and in at least 58 games this season. The top five finishers for the award were Smart, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith, New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson and New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones. The award is derived from the hustle stats tracked on NBA.com, including deflections, loose balls recovered, charges drawn, screen assists, contested shots and box-outs, which the league has tracked since the 2016-17 postseason. The NBA announced Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart as the winner of the 2022-23 Hustle Award, making him the first player to win the award two years in a row and giving it to him for the third time in the seven years it has existed. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĬeltics guard Marcus Smart wins third NBA Hustle Award
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