Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart dribbles the ball for a photo shoot during the Boston Celtics Media Day on Monday in Canton, Mass. AP Photo/Mary Schwalm
Marcus Smart certainly isn’t lacking any confidence as he makes the move to being the Boston Celtics’ permanent starting point guard this season.
“It’s easy,” said Smart on Monday at Celtics Media Day of having to distribute the basketball, especially to Boston’s star players in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Smart, who is entering his eighth year in the NBA, feels comfortable playing the point, having done so growing up. But he hasn’t had that full responsibility with Boston until now, though the Celtics have certainly given him more of a taste of it the past two seasons when Kemba Walker was out.
Smart proved to be a reliable ball-handler during those opportunities, and while his shot selection is something that is rightfully always called into question, he has quietly become one of the team’s top passers. That will be key, especially as first-year Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Steven has reiterated throughout the offseason that the team wants to accentuate the talents of Tatum and Brown on the floor.
Smart led the Celtics in assists each of the past two years and recorded a career-high 5.7 assists in an injury-plagued campaign a season ago.
“I was one of the leaders in assists last year, and I think that speaks volumes of my playmaking skills and the things that I can do with the ball in my hands,” Smart said. “Just having that opportunity to finally go out there and do it without looking over my shoulder or having to worry about … if I’m too aggressive here or if I’m not too aggressive there. Just really picking those spots. But it’s going to be real easy.”
Smart said this season doesn’t feel different from past years despite the changes for him this offseason, which includes his new role in the offense. There’s also the four-year, $77.1 million contract extension he signed in August that took him out of a contract year and puts him in Boston’s plans for the future.
Smart believes none of that will change his approach. His objectives remain the same; he’s just looking to do what he’s always done on the court.
“Feels like every other season,” Smart said. “I’m here to do a job. I’m here to help the team bring a championship back home for us. That’s my job. Just like any other year, this year things are just more consistent. Nothing’s changed. Attitude is the same.”
Smart’s offseason wasn’t as streamlined as it appears. When Smart got into contract negotiations this summer, it wasn’t a certainty that things would turn out how he wanted, but he’s thrilled to extend his stay in Boston.
“When you get into negotiating anything, there’s always questions,” Smart said. “That’s part of the business. I think a lot of things get taken out of sight when it comes to this game that it’s a business first. (Sometimes) you got to do things, say things or not do things or say things that you probably wouldn’t when it comes to business status.
“Like I said, we’re here. I’m excited to be back. I’m excited to be with this group of guys.”
Smart was drafted at No. 6 overall by Boston in 2014 and is the longest-tenured player on the roster. He’s a homegrown product and helped the Celtics make three Eastern Conference final appearances in four years.
Smart wants to get back to the identity the team had during those runs and knows the Celtics fell well short of accomplishing that in their tumultuous 2020-21 season that ended with a first-round playoff exit. Smart said “everybody had things they were dealing with personally, on and off the court,” that derailed last year’s season.
But now with a new season less than a month away, Smart is ready to put his fingerprints on the clean slate offered to the Celtics.
“I’m excited for a fresh start, like I said,” Smart said. “Everything is a fresh start for us. That’s kind of my mentality with Brad (Stevens) moving on (from head coach to his new role), with Ime (Udoka) coming in as the new coach. Just trying to figure out how we can get back to the team that we’ve been in the past. Really bringing it back.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.