Marcus Smart’s Return Was Much-Needed
When you look at the numbers, Marcus Smart is not one of the best players in the NBA by a long shot. He is also not a good offensive player. That being said, getting him to agree to a four-year, $52 million contract was a huge step forward for the Celtics.
Smart is the kind of glue guy that every championship team needs on their roster. He brings defense, energy, and passion off the bench.
Boston’s bench already has some question marks looking ahead to the 2018-19 season. Smart coming back helps answer some of those questions, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Stevens and the Celtics’ coaching staff should be thankful that Ainge played free agency the way he did.
Last season, Smart ended up averaging 10.2 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. He also chipped in 1.3 steals per game. Smart shot 36.7 percent from the floor overall and connected on 30.1 percent of his three-point attempts.
Even though Smart may not have been viewed as a “star” in free agency, bringing him back was a much-needed move for the Celtics to compete with the elite teams in the NBA.
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