Brad Stevens says Marcus Smart should be on NBA All-Defensive team
“Maybe everybody can write a little blurb on Marcus Smart,” says Brad Stevens.
CLEVELAND, OH – MAY 25: Head coach Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics speaks to Marcus Smart in the second quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game Six of the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on May 25, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesBoston Celtics guard Marcus Smart has yet to see a loose ball he didn't want to dive towards with reckless abandon.
He's more than that, though, and everybody with even a close eye on Celtics basketball knows that; Smart has slowly emerged as a premier stopper in a guard-dominated NBA landscape, with a fearless attitude that's provided a heartbeat and attitude to the C's whenever he's on the floor.
It's been more than enough for Brad Stevens to confidently deploy Smart in any and every situation late in a game.
And it appears Stevens wants to see Smart recognized outside of Boston, too, openly campaigning for Smart to receive some All-Defensive love from the voters ahead of Thursday's head-to-head with James Harden and the Rockets.
"Marcus is a really good defender who probably should have been on All-Defensive teams before and for whatever reason has not been," Stevens said in his pregame meeting with the media. "Maybe everybody can write a little blurb on him. That would be nice because he should be on it every year. He's a great defender."
But the 24-year-old Smart is not losing sleep over the lack of national recognition for his efforts.
“I think that I do a pretty good job,” Smart said of his defensive acumen. "These five years I’ve been here I’ve been showing and showcasing that I am one of the top defenders in this league and things like that, but I don’t let [not winning an award] get me too worked up. On things like that, I know what I bring on the court to my team and to the game.
"So I’m not really worried about it if a piece of paper or somewhere online doesn’t say that I’m on some type of team that guys that, I don’t know, who just wants to see certain guys there. That type of stuff. It’s a popularity contest and I’m out there to play ball. So I don’t need a piece of paper or something telling me I’m a great defender."
Of course, the praise may have come on the wrong night, as James Harden dropped 45 points on Smart and the Celtics in a 14-point victory over the Green, led by a 9-for-18 mark from deep.
Still, the 6-foot-4 Smart will have more than enough time (especially on national TV) to make up for it and earn his first All-Defensive nod, especially if Stevens continues to campaign outside Boston limits.
