Celtics guard Marcus Smart named to 2019-20 All-Defensive First Team
98.5 The Sports Hub staff report
For the second straight season, the Celtics’ Marcus Smart has been named to the All-Defensive First Team, the NBA announced Tuesday.
Smart’s First Team honor came by way of 152 points, including 57 First Team votes.
His 152 points were the fifth-most among fellow First Teamers, trailing the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (195 points, 97 First Team votes), the Lakers’ Anthony Davis (187 points, 87 First Team votes), Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons (185 points, 88 First Team votes), and Jazz center Rudy Gobert (180 points, 85 First Team votes).
Players were awarded two points for each vote to the First Team and one point for each vote to the Second Team, and Smart’s 152 points were over double the next closest guard (Milwaukee’s Eric Bledsoe, with 59 points).
The 26-year-old Smart’s second straight First Team honors comes following a regular season that included at least 100 steals for the second straight season (and third time in four years), along with a career-high 0.5 blocks per game. That made Smart one of just four NBA players to average at least 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game in 2019-20.
With back-to-back honors, Smart is now the first Celtics player to receive All-Defensive First Team honors in consecutive seasons since Kevin Garnett earned back-to-back honors in 2007-08 and 2008-09.
Smart and the Celtics will look to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Final in Game 6 against the Raptors.
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