The Case For Marcus Smart
By Mike Garcia
What is Marcus Smart’s upside?
Mar 21, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Marcus Smart (33) shoots between Gonzaga Bulldogs center Przemek Karnowski (24) and guard David Stockton (11) in the first half of a men
Comparisons have been made with Dwyane Wade, which I don’t agree with. I liken him to Kyle Lowry. Both point guards are unusually strong at their position, fiercely competitive, and have a knack of getting into the painted area. Lowry has gotten more attention in recent years, and keyed the Toronto Raptors to a strong playoff series. He is lights out from behind the arc. Marcus Smart adds another dimension at the defensive end. While both guards have great tools to attack the basket, Smart can also attack on the defensive end as well. He has All-Defensive First Team-type of potential at the point guard position. All of the elements are there; length, strength, lateral quickness, speed, vertical ability, and defensive IQ. Guys like Gary Payton had all of those tools, except the strength. He has an extra 40lbs. of mass over both Payton and Kyle Lowry, and doesn’t seem to be slowed by it.
Here’s an example of his defensive play.
He’s a two-way point guard that has the ability to shut down point guards. NBA perimeter defenses have softened, which may cause him some early foul trouble, but his ability to switch among multiple players is a huge benefit to any team.