Boston Celtics will play Marcus Smart heavy minutes

When Marcus Smart ‘slipped’ to the Boston Celtics, who drafted the former Oklahoma State Cowboy with the No. 6 overall pick, they couldn’t have been more thrilled.

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Yes, Smart’s game came with some massive warts which include some rather poor shooting, but few (if any) in the draft had a bigger motor or heart. That’s something the Boston Celtics were looking for, especially given Rajon Rondo could be traded or leave via free agency at season end.

In short, the Boston Celtics wanted a leader and potential franchise star. That’s something they may have nabbed in Marcus Smart who is set to play major minutes for the Celtics in his rookie season.

“I anticipate him playing a lot of minutes for us,” said Celtics head coach Brad Stevens. “You’re inevitably drawn to guys that do the right thing over and over and over,” Stevens said. “It’s just the way that you feel as a coach. You feel really comfortable with guys like that. And he does that. He’s very consistent in doing that.”

At times it’s been painful to watch Marcus Smart shoot during the preseason though on the defensive side of the ball, he’s been nothing short of a monster as Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors can attest to.

There’s no doubt Marcus Smart is a work in progress as he compares much like a Tyreke Evans (extreme athlete with a poor stroke) but under the right coaching, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be able to morph into a very solid NBA player.

He’ll certainly get plenty of an opportunity to do so given he’s a big part of the Boston Celtics’ rebuilding project and should flirt with 30 minutes (if not more) this year.

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