Marcus Smart has started to sling the 3-point shot with success. Here’s a look at his unprecedented rise for the Boston Celtics.
This is Marcus Smart‘s best season with the Boston Celtics. Thus far, he’s shot the ball better, brought intense energy, played outstanding defense and helped his team win games. Smart was always a good defender, and no one has ever questioned his passion for the game.
Where people did question whether he could improve was on the offensive end. Smart has never been the guy who’s going to come into a game and light a defense up with his scoring. He’ll have the occasional night where he won’t miss anything, but he’s never done it consistently.
Smart was a guard out of Oklahoma State picked sixth overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. He played two seasons in college, finishing his sophomore season shooting 42.2 percent from the field and 29.9 percent from 3-point range.
Since entering the NBA, Smart hasn’t really improved his shot until the 2018-19 season. Here’s a look at his points and shooting percentages over his five-year stint with the Celtics:
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/19/2019.
It’s clear as day that Smart hasn’t progressed like Celtics fans wish he would have. Despite scoring just 8.0 points per game, this is his best season on the offensive end. Even his field goal percentage has risen, he’s shooting in the 40s for the first time in his career.
It’s still not effective enough, but looking at where he once was, 41.3 percent from the field is a win. The 3-point ball is better than it ever has been, and Smart picked the best time to ramp up his efforts.
He’s creeping up to be an above-average shooter from beyond the arc with his 36.8 percent conversion rate. He started the year out a little slow, but the winter cold has only made his shooting hotter:
- October: 17.6 percent
- November: 37.0 percent
- December: 32.2 percent
- January: 50.0 percent
October is a month he’d like to forget about, but how about the month of January? He’s attempting a season-high 4.9 long range shots per game and cashing in on 2.4 of those. It’s becoming more and more common for him to shoot eight attempts a night from 3.
In the nine games he’s played in January, he’s taken eight attempts from downtown four times. When he does take that many shots, his worst outcome has been a 50 percent effort. He needs to be taking that many shots consistently, because on nights where he takes very little shots, it usually results in a poor shooting night.
Marcus Smart has a higher 3P% than...
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) January 19, 2019
Klay Thompson – 36.9%
Kemba Walker – 35.9%
Devin Booker – 32.5%
Victor Oladipo – 34.8%
Brad Beal – 35.4%
Jamal Murray – 35.3%
Kyle Lowry – 31.3%
Chris Paul – 35.3%
Joe Ingles – 36.5%
Eric Gordon – 30.8%
... & many morehttps://t.co/Yngp4jQFXK
Granted, these guys are higher volume shooters, but seeing these players below Smart in 3-point percentage has to feel good. After Saturday night’s 0-for-3 night, Smart has fallen below Klay Thompson by 0.1 percent.
Irving hits Smart with the behind the back pass for 3!https://t.co/Bgd4V3Netg https://t.co/c8BfrEHWyv
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 19, 2019
He’s not hesitating when he get’s an opportunity to shoot the ball, which is big for the team and his confidence. Smart has been a revelation this season with his energy and defense, but one thing that can’t go unnoticed is his recent uptick in 3-point efficiency.
Smart is a huge reason this Boston team has been able to overcome its early season struggles. If he can continue to shoot the way he has, the Celtics will become a lot better on both ends of the floor.