Boston Celtics: 4 potential point guard replacements for next season

1. Marcus Smart

Sometimes, exactly what you’re looking for is right under your nose. Relegated to the 2-spot while Terry Rozier and Kyrie Irving took the shine as lead guards the past few years, Marcus Smart could be the rightful heir to the open point guard role.

Now, as detailed in the Carsen Edwards’ case, Brad Stevens has a type. Marcus Smart does not exactly fit this mold, but the intensity he plays the game with, coupled with his genuine top-line talent for the game of basketball would probably make Smart the Celtics’ best non-Kyrie Irving option at the 1 next season.

Terry Rozier was good in his spot starts the past two years, but he is not a better point guard than Marcus Smart. He does not have the passing ability of Smart, struggling to hit roll man after roll man. He allows himself to get tunnel vision too easily, sometimes getting wrapped up in playing one-on-one with his opponent. That, along with his actions this offseason, should really turn the Celtics off from a potential reunion.

In rolling with two solid, proven vets (Rubio, Beverley), the team would be in a “safe place.” The Celtics wouldn’t regress too much and either one’s presence could help the growth of Boston’s core. However, with those guys, you know your ceiling. For a Boston team that has been so close to the promised land, that ceiling is not high enough.

Going with a draftee like Carsen Edwards could be a fun and beneficial endeavor for the Cs, as guys with a knack for putting the ball in the hoop tend to do well in this league. But it’s still a gamble. An unproven commodity like Edwards could potentially badly backfire on Boston, severely lowering the team’s floor and tanking their chemistry. Rookie point guards typically struggle.

Marcus Smart can make a great case as the best of both worlds. He’s the Boston Celtics’ most seasoned player, but he also only just started his second contract. He is a playmaker (4.0 assists per game last season in an off-ball role), plays absolutely tenacious defense (evidenced by his All-Defensive First Team nod) and at just 25 years old, has plenty of room to grow.

Marcus Smart will never be a 20-points per game guy, but on a team with a developing Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, it’s not exactly needed. He’s well acclimated with the system, he’s beloved by his teammates, he’s perhaps the best defensive guard in the league, he’s endeared himself to the fans and he is a great Plan B for the Celtics if Kyrie bolts.