When the Boston Celtics drafted Marcus Smart in the 2014 NBA Draft, many believed it was the beginning of the end of Rajon Rondo’s time in Beantown.
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That remains to be seen, though if Marcus Smart continues to impress the Boston Celtics coaching staff, it could eventually expedite Rondo’s ticket out of town. Granted, it’s likely the Celtics would prefer that Rondo stick around a bit to groom Smart but it sounds as if the Celtics may take the training wheels off a little earlier than anticipated as Boston’s front office and coaches can’t help but gush over what they’ve seen from Smart so far.
Former Boston Celtics player and current assistant coach Walter McCarthy talked about the former Oklahoma State product.
“I thought he did a really good job. It gave us an opportunity to see what he can do, what he needs to grow into, but he did some real nice things, and we were very happy with him. He’s a worker, and I think he’s going to have a tremendous first season.”
McCarthy also went on to rave about Marcus Smart’s defensive ability, suggesting that he’s hoping Smart’s tenacity will rub off on fellow members of the Celtics roster.
It’s a little odd to see a team praising a player so heavily without a regular season game under his belt, though Smart is known for his gritty, hustling style of play which coaches love. He still needs polish on the vast majority of his ‘skills’ but if he can ever harness them, there’s no doubt he has the ability to be a top player in the NBA.