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People can't stop gushing about Marcus Smart's defensive potential.
Next great perimeter defender, per a couple scouts I talked to this week: Marcus Smart. All the tools. Scouts love how he embraces contact.
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) September 3, 2014
Jay Larranaga - "I’d say the first thing you notice right away is what a competitor he is, the level of intensity he brings to every play offensively and defensively. He’s been a lot of fun to work with. I think we were very lucky we saw the leadership of Kevin Garnett, the leadership of Paul Pierce, and they lead by example more than anything else. So the example Marcus has set, even though he’s a young player, is that he plays hard, he values defense, he values team play. You have to lead by example before you do anything else."
And if that's not enough, here's a few more people gushing about Marcus.
He's got a jumper that needs time and work to get into NBA shape, but seemingly every other aspect of his game is ready to contribute on the next level. To the point where he could be our best young player since... well, Rajon Rondo.
Right now I'm looking forward to him coming along slowly and being the first guard off the bench for either Rondo or Avery Bradley. I'm really looking forward to Smart and Bradley going into lock-down mode on some poor unsuspecting backcourt. Forget the "pit bulls" nickname. These guys would be a tag team of Tasmanian Devils.