Mar 20, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Marcus Smart shoots during practice before the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Marcus Smart, last year, was a freshman point guard projected in the top three of last year’s draft. This year, he may drop down to the Lakers pick. The talent of the draft crop has pushed him down, but he can still hang with the top prospects.
His sophomore year had its’ ups and downs. While he improved statistically in regards to shooting and assist to turnover ratio, there was controversy at the end of the season, when he shoved a Texas Tech fan in the stands. He accepted the consequences and moved forward. Still, the Co-Captain of the Team USA U-19 team is sought out as a person of great character, competitiveness, and leadership.
What is Marcus Smart’s identity or talent on the floor?
First and foremost, he’s an elite defensive player. He combines excellent physical attributes along with his athleticism and IQ, and uses it to his advantage. At a legit 6’2″ in height, with a wingspan over 6’9″, and 220lbs. of strength, he’s able to defend multiple positions on the floor. Not only can he force turnovers at a near three-steals per-40 rate, but he’s also excellent at positional defense. He denies passing angles, penetration angles, and forces his opponents into bad shots. That is not a reflection of his only talent. This is just one side of the floor.
Offensively, he’s a shooting guard playing a point guard position. While he has two years of point guard experience at the NCAA level, he can become a bit turnover prone. There isn’t a lot of shake to his game off-the-dribble. Instead, he attacks the basket hard in a straight line, sheds defenders with his strength, and uses his wingspan to finish against taller defenders. His jumpshot is a work in progress, and while his percentages became more consistent last year, scouts are leery of a hitch in his shot.
#NBA scouts also little concerned with "hitch" in Marcus Smart's shot. But like elevation on J. One scout says anywhere from 5-15 in draft.
— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) May 23, 2014
His aggression towards the hoop and streaky jumpshooting leads to poor shot selection. Like Aaron Gordon, he’s known for his competitiveness and work ethic, and that may get the best of him when he’s expected to take control of games. If he shows more discipline with his jumpshot, expect his field goal percentage to rise above 42%, and much higher than 30% behind the 3-point line. An underrated aspect of his game is his post game, where he exploits mismatches very well, and is able to pick defenses apart with his passing ability.
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.
What if he doesn’t reach his potential?
Mar 12, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Marcus Smart (33) rebounds the ball during the first half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
The worst case scenario is, the Lakers get a defensive point guard. Keyon Dooling has made a career of using his athletic tools on defense while being a solid back-up point guard offensively. He never really put all of the tools together to become a consistent scorer. Smart does two things well, which is attack the paint and defend at a high level. It’s not a waste of a pick at #7, and can be considered a safe pick. His competitiveness and work ethic by multiple people at the NCAA level indicate he will fulfill his upside.
How does he fit the team?
Mar 21, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Marcus Smart (33) and forward/center Kamari Murphy (21) head for the bench in the second half of a men
He would fit the Laker team very well. The Lakers want to grab a championship window in the next two years just before Bryant’s retirement. He can impact the game immediately on the defensive end. Offensively, he may not be considered a top-three option, but he is willing to attack the basket and draw fouls. He won’t be timid at the NBA level.
He can also provide leadership in the locker room. He leads by example for the Oklahoma State team. Guys like Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher have built reputations of leadership based on the work ethic.
At the same time, after Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant have retired, he can lead a new team. He’s willing to do what it takes to win games, even if it isn’t always a game winning shot. He’ll take charges. He’ll draw fouls. He’ll dive on the floor. He’ll get respect from management, coaches, and teammates alike. That kind of leadership is tough to find, but it’s inherent in Marcus Smart. No one can teach fire.
What can he contribute now?
He can contribute defense at a high level from the get go. Once he adjust to the NBA game, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was one of the top-two defensive players already on the team. Just look at what he’s done against Andrew Wiggins.
On the offensive end of the floor, he may force the issue drawing contact in the paint. This isn’t new to Laker fans, who saw an early Kobe Bryant force dribble penetration and take bad shots for several years. However, once he builds his confidence after making a couple of jumpshots, the rest is history.
Unlike most point guards, he’s comfortable working off-the-ball and in the post area. This allows Kobe Bryant to be an initiator of the offense, while still making Marcus Smart a productive player on the offensive end. His assist to turnover ratio of 1.84 isn’t the greatest at the point guard position, but some discipline within a halfcourt set would change that greatly. What is important is, he’ll give the Lakers another player willing to attack the basket. At times, the offense has seemed stagnant. Not everyone was a threat to take defenders off-the-dribble. Marcus Smart can do that beside Kobe Bryant and get defenses on their heels.
Defensively, if he were to get major minutes, he would immediately relieve Kobe Bryant of the toughest perimeter assignment. His ability to get away with defending point guards, shooting guards, and small forwards at equal effectiveness is a rare talent. Not only does this save Kobe Bryant some energy on defense, but it also allows him to roam passing lanes to force transition play. Did I mention that Marcus Smart averages 2.9 steals per game in his 32.7 minutes of play? Kobe can defend the players off-the-ball. Smart can force guys into tough shots, or even cough up the basketball.