Predictions for the 2019-20 Boston Celtics

3. Smart shoots 40 percent from deep

Marcus Smart has never been known as a shooter since entering the league. Instead, he has gained relevance in the league due to his defensive style and skill set. Regularly disrespected by opposing defenses during his first few years in the league, Smart was unable to capitalize on the weak coverage.

Last season, however, Smart had somewhat of an emergence as a 3-point shooter. Cleaning the Glass has Smart finishing last season in the 62nd percentile of guards for 3-point shooting, dropping 36.7 percent of his shots from deep.

During preseason Smart hit on 41.7 percent of his attempts from deep, scoring 1.7 times per 4.0 attempts per game. Yes, this is only over a three-game sample size, but it is encouraging. Should this become a staple of Smart’s offensive repertoire then some All-Star appearances will be waiting for him in the not too distant future.

While Smart is beloved by the Boston Celtics fans, he is seen as somewhat a luxury player by fans from around the league. He is the type of player that you love to have on your team, but you can only truly recognize the impact he has on team success if you are watching him on a nightly basis.

By becoming a regular 40 percent shooter from deep, Smart will be adding relevance to his name. Furthermore, he will enable coach Brad Stevens to scheme for more opportunities from the corner three, thus providing the team with another threat on offense.

The heartbeat of the team, always willing to sacrifice his body for the good of the team, Smart has now added another string to his bow. A fine example of professionalism to the younger guys in the locker room and by utilizing his newfound shooting form this year he will be leading by example, showing his younger teammates every year in the NBA is about improvement.