NBA Draft: Re-drafting the 2014 NBA Draft’s first round

2014 NBA Redraft: 6. Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics

To simply graze your eyes across the common box score is to avoid an understanding of what has come to make Marcus Smart so valuable to the Boston Celtics.

Only a career 9.3 point per game scorer, the former No. 6 overall pick is the stereotypical glue guy, the player who does just about everything outside the scoring department to help his team win.

Standing 6’4” and weighing roughly 220 pounds, he is the immovable force that keeps even the best perimeter threats in front of him. Bigger forwards may think they have a mismatch when guarded by Smart in the post, but his strength gives up no ground and usually winds up making the opposition look foolish.

Even in the era of advanced stats, the numbers still don’t truly do his game the full justice it deserves. You may see he had a couple of deflections, but were you aware they came in the games final minutes? Offensive rebounds may catch your eye, but that doesn’t show Smart darting in from the left corner and batting the ball away from multiple opposing players.

He sacrifices his body in drawing charges and routinely battles amongst the bigs in fighting for loose balls and rebounds at both ends. There are certain players sprinkled across the NBA that appear to be willing to do just about whatever it takes to win games. In five seasons in the league, Smart has certainly earned the reputation as one of them.

Where he needs to improve, and why he’s not higher on this list, is on the offensive side of the ball. Smart doesn’t create his own shot nor does he get to the rim very often. An encouraging sign was his career-best 36.4 outside shooting this past season. Should that hold to form or even improve, he’ll demand more respect from the perimeter than he has in years past.