FanPost

Terry's elevating his game and what that means for Marcus Smart

After watching these last three consecutive wins, I've been happy with the progress this team has made following the death of Chyna. However, I am no where near satisfied. But, I would like to note the improvements of Terry Rozier. Although he is playing less than 20 minutes a game, his high levels of confidence, athleticism and seemingly natural instincts display something many of us could have never imagined on his draft day. This has led me to believe that his upside WILL be realized and that he will become a great bench scorer and playmaker for the C's in the following years. Thus, I believe we can dump Marcus Smart. It's a tough decision that many NBA GM's wouldn't know how to go about, but the C's MUST resign AB and IT and cannot lose BOTH Crowder and Smart. I know many of us believe his intangibles are incredibly valuable, but as long as we keep Crowder OR Smart, I feel that the toughness, grit, and heart of the team will remain in tact. It's so hard to write this because Marcus Smart is a true Celtic. As a life long Celtics fan, you just know when you get one of those players who embodies everything it means to bleed green. Regardless, sometimes you have to make business decisions that are unfavorable, but are done so to keep the long term plan for the team in tact. I didn't like Smart's game at first, but he has grown on me so much because of his passion and desire to always make the RIGHT play. He has been a willing learner and has worked his ass of. It's something you can't teach, but we don't have enough roster spots and the luxury to pay him while trying to solve other roster issues. It's just a tough situation and the future is finally coming upon the Celtic front office. It makes me sad that I am writing this post.

When deciding between Crowder and Smart, I base my decision on one big characteristic. Versatility. I also analyze thhe situation from an unbiased perspective. Although Marcus is years beyond Crowder in regard to his playmaking abilities in the pick and roll, Smart's shooting doesn't seem to be improving enough. In a league where the three shooting has become instrumental to winning a title, we cannot afford poor shooting guards. On a team that emphasizes three shooting and buckets close to the rim, Smart does not fit. Although Crowder has shit the bed from deep this series, he is a much better shooter than Smart. He by no means is a GREAT shooter, but he can pull up, catch and shoot the quick three, and he's able to legitimately space the floor which is of great value for a team that relies on Isaiah's ability to finesse his way into the paint. In addition, Crowders size allows him more versatility on the defensive end. Crowder is also a better rebounder, which has been an area of struggle for the Celtics over the last few years. It wouldn't be smart to shovel off a solid rebounding wing. Although Smart is a better on ball defender, I believe Crowder's ability to guard 1-4 is of GREAT value in the new "position less" NBA that many coaches, including Brad Stevens talk about. You can see it in the way Boston has drafted recently. Guerschon and Jaylen Brown are both incredibly versatile on both ends of the floor which is why I believe they will complement the rest of the team nicely in the foreseeable future.

I just don't see how we can justify keeping Marcus when we will probably be drafting Fultz if we get the top pick. This would just contribute to the logjam building up in our backcourt. It's time to trim some of the fat off of this team and I think Marcus will be better off elsewhere, instead of slowing the offensive growth of this team. I still love you Marcus Smart, but I just think this is a decision the team needs to make if we want to hang up banner 18 anytime soon.


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