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Boston Celtics: How Much Will The C’s Miss Marcus Smart?

By Eric Laboissonniere

Nov 20, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) takes a moment after a play as they take on the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at TD Garden. The Celtics defeated the Nets 120-95. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) takes a moment after a play as they take on the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at TD Garden. The Celtics defeated the Nets 120-95. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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Marcus Smart is out for two weeks, how much does that hurt the Boston Celtics?

The Boston Celtics are 7-6 so far this season, but they are coming off a bad loss to much weaker Brooklyn Nets‘ team. One reason the team looked a little out of sync was because Marcus Smart was not on the floor, and he might not be back on the court for a couple weeks due to a left leg injury.

Smart has only played in nine games this year, and the Celtics are so far 2-2 without him in the lineup. Smart is not putting up overly impressive numbers on offense, but he has posted a defensive rating of 99 per 100 possessions and he is averaging 2.2 steals per game.

Smart is only averaging 9.8 points per game, but when he is on the floor he affects the game in so many ways because of his fiery attitude and gritty defense.

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The starting backcourt of Smart and Isaiah Thomas was starting to find a groove while Avery Bradley was injured. Thomas and Smart won four out of five games during the stretch were Bradley was out or coming off the bench, and Bradley has been impressive coming off the bench, averaging 18.5 points per game, and he is shooting 52.9 percent from deep in four games off the bench.

Without Smart in the lineup the team loses that fiery attitude on both ends of the floor and reports say that he is going to be out for at least two weeks, so how much will the Celtics struggle without him?

The Celtics will miss Smart greatly

By taking a look at Smart’s numbers, some people might not be impressed, but if you watch him play basketball for the Celtics night in and night out, everyone can see that Smart affects the outcome of the game in so many ways. In an earlier game against Oklahoma City, Smart’s impressive game and potential was on full display; he put up 26 points, eight rebounds. and three assists.

He also played terrific defense against Russell Westbrook, which is certainly not an easy defensive assignment.

Smart can match up with practically any guard in the backcourt because of his physicality and speed, which is why the team will miss him in this stretch. He also has the ability to attack the rim unlike many other players on the team, Thomas can as well, but Smart is one of the only other players on the team that can attack the rim and create his own shot.

Another big reason the Celtics need Smart back soon is so that he can keep developing his game to become a better player. He had a great rookie season for the Celtics, and this season was going to be filled with much higher expectations. He has not really disappointed but it is early. He is shooting poorly from deep at 23.8 percent, which is something he must improve on.

Overall

The Celtics are going to miss Smart a lot because of the upside he brings on both ends of the floor and because he does have the ability to takeover games. Watch for R.J. Hunter and Terry Rozier to see some more minutes because of Smart’s injury, and Rozier plays very similar to Smart, so it will be interesting to see if he can get it going on both ends of the floor.

Boston is only 7-6, even though they have been playing well (other than the recent loss to the Nets), the Celtics could struggle in the next two weeks without one of their best playmakers in Marcus Smart.

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