Marcus Smart could influence Boston Celtics to trade Rajon Rondo
There has been a lot of discussion about what the Boston Celtics will do with point guard Rajon Rondo. He has reportedly demanded a trade but both he and the Celtics have denied the report.
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Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders thinks the play of the sixth-overall pick of the draft, Marcus Smart, could influence the Celtics to trade Rajon Rondo.
"Another factor that will determine Ainge’s willingness to move Rondo will be the play of Marcus Smart. Physically, Smart has the tools that make scouts drool. His versatile skill set and imposing size for a guard resulted in pundits hyping Smart as one of the top all-around players in the 2014 NBA Draft. However, there were some issues concerning Smart’s maturity level. In addition, some wondered whether he was a bit of a “tweener.” Will Smart be able to play PG in the NBA? Is he combo-guard that’s a better fit playing off the ball? With Rondo sidelined for all of training camp and the preseason, Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens will get a good look at what the youngster can handle during his first full training camp as a pro."
Should Marcus Smart play well (and maybe even if he doesn’t), the Celtics should think hard about trading Rajon Rondo and building around their young talent.
Last season, Rajon Rondo averaged 11.7 points, 9.8 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 40.3% from the field, 28.9% from beyond the arc and 62.7% from the free throw line. Rajon Rondo has averaged 11.1 points, 8.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 47.5% from the floor, 25.2% from three and 62.1% from the free throw line in his eight-year NBA career. Marcus Smart averaged 18.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game last season and shot 42.2% from the field, 29.9% from beyond the arc and 72.8% from the charity stripe for the Cowboys last season.
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