When the news broke that Marcus Smart was going to be traded away from the Boston Celtics in a deal that would ultimately land them Kristaps Porzingis, the basketball world was stunned. Not only had the balance of power suddenly shifted in the Eastern Conference, but the Celtics were sending one of the faces of the franchise to a different city; Smart’s days as the vocal leader of the team were officially over.
Since entering the NBA nine years ago, Smart was one of the primary reasons the Celtics never missed the playoffs during his tenure. However, the Celtics were never able to obtain their desired championship glory; they lost in the Eastern Conference Finals four times and the NBA Finals once during that time span. After a disappointing Game 7 defeat on their home floor to the Miami Heat this postseason, Boston’s management knew it was time for a change.
Marcus Smart is a savvy veteran who competes hard on both ends of the floor. His presence will add veteran leadership to an already talented Grizzlies team.
Although Smart does not possess a championship ring, he does bring a wealth of experience to a young Memphis Grizzlies team that could use some veteran leadership. The Grizzlies are a team that is loaded with talent and entered the 2023 season with championship aspirations of their own, Unfortunately, their season ended in disappointment as they suffered a first-round defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
In executing the trade to make Smart a part of the team, Memphis’ management was undoubtedly hoping that his veteran presence could help the young ballclub get over the hump and emerge from the Western Conference to make their first Finals appearance next season. Let’s take a closer look at the ways Marcus Smart will be an asset to the Memphis Grizzlies next season.
Defensive Intensity
In 2022, Marcus Smart became the first guard since Gary Payton in 1996 to win the Defensive Player of The Year Award. The trophy is traditionally reserved for elite rim protectors, but Smart’s tenacity on the perimeter was undeniable that season. Without even looking at the stats, it seemed that every time you tuned into a Celtics game you would witness Smart come up with a timely steal or force the other team into a costly turnover.
Smart’s exploits helped Boston reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010 during that year’s playoffs. Along the way, he was given the not-so-easy assignments of slowing down James Harden of the Brooklyn Nets, Jrue Holiday of the Milwaukee Bucks, and Kyle Lowry of the Miami Heat. All of these floor generals have had great individual success in orchestrating their teams’ offenses. Smart was able to greatly curtail each of them.
Next season, the Memphis Grizzlies will undoubtedly call upon Smart to be their defensive leader on the perimeter. Fortunately for Memphis, they also have the reigning Defensive Player of The Year, Jaren Jackson Jr. on the roster. He is an elite rim protector; combined with Smart’s tenacity and high defensive IQ it is very likely that Memphis have the best defense in the entire NBA next season.
During their first-round defeat at the hands of the Lakers, the Grizzlies were caught off-guard by strong performances by Austin Reaves in Game 1 and D’Angelo Russell in Game 3. If Smart were on the team during that series, he would have most likely been switched onto these players once they heated up, for the sole purpose of slowing them down and forcing them to cool off. Next year, Grizzlies fans can look forward to having a defensive aficionado on the perimeter to match the one they already possess inside the paint.
Playmaking Ability
While Marcus Smart is rightfully known for his defensive prowess and his hustle plays, he is also one of the most underrated playmakers in the entire NBA. Next season, Smart will find himself on a team that boasts Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr., three of the most talented young players in the league. He won’t be called upon to be a primary offensive weapon but his contributions on that side of the ball should not be overlooked.
In the last three years, Smart has put up his individual best in assist per game average each consecutive season. In 2021, he averaged a career-high 5.7 assists per game. He upped that to 5.9 assists in 2022, followed by a career-high 6.3 assists per game in 2023. While his career average of 10.6 points per game is not eye-popping, it takes a high IQ player to average over 6 assists on a team where the two All-Star forwards have a high usage rate and often have the ball in their hands.
Next season, Smart will have a teammate in Ja Morant who is capable of making exciting plays and often makes stellar passes. However, Smart is a savvy enough player that he can play alongside Morant at the off-guard position or give Morant a breather at the point guard slot and play with backcourt mate Desmond Bane. Smart’s ability to make the right play, whether it is taking the shot or creating for others, gives Head Coach Taylor Jenkins another element of versatility he can use at his disposal next season.
Playoff Experience
The Memphis Grizzlies have qualified for the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. However, in spite of being the 2nd seed in the Western Conference in the last two postseasons, they have only won one playoff series. Last December, a member of their roster notoriously uttered the words “I’m fine in the West,” indicating that the team was going to waltz into the NBA Finals uninterrupted. Those words turned out to backfire in a very big way.
In adding Marcus Smart to the roster, the Grizzlies are picking up a battle-tested veteran who has been deeper in the playoffs than anyone else on the team. He has advanced to the Conference Finals five times in his career and competed in the NBA Finals once. He not only knows what it takes to get to the playoffs, he understands the grit and determination it takes to finish off a team in an elimination game that is fighting to keep their season alive.
Last season, the Grizzlies seemed to get distracted by Dillon Brooks’ comments about LeBron James, and there was still a lingering feeling of a lack of continuity surrounding Ja Morant’s return from a suspension. Smart knows that distractions like these will doom a team to failure; in order to reach the promised land teams must not engage in any unnecessary shenanigans. In the playoffs, the teams that are focused on executing their game plan on both sides of the ball are the ones that win.
The Memphis Grizzlies are a team that is talented enough to reach the NBA Finals. They will have to play the first 25 games of next season without their best player; they are already in an uphill battle.
Luckily for them, they just acquired Marcus Smart, a battle-tested veteran who can provide a spark on both ends of the court while also being a calming voice in the locker room. Making it out of the Wild Wild West certainly won’t be easy next season, but the move to acquire Marcus Smart just increased the Grizzlies’ chances exponentially.