If you go up to Boston Celtics fans and ask, “Who’s the worst shooter on the team?” you’ll likely hear one name, and one name only: Marcus Smart.
(Aron Baynes might get some play, but it would be Smart in a runaway.)
Seen as a perpetual brick-layer, Smart’s chucks from beyond the arc often are accompanied by a collective “Nooo!” from the TD Garden crowd. But, believe it or not, the Celtics guard actually is one of the best 3-point shooters on the team.
Take a look at this tweet from The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach:
With just 15 games left, Marcus Smart has a better 3-point % (37.1) than Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown. And he's creeping up on Marcus Morris (38.0).
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) March 10, 2019
Yeah, we were surprised, too. And truth be told, if it weren’t for a few horrible games in early February, Smart’s 3-point percentage would be even higher.
In his first 53 games, Smart shot 37.7 percent from long distance. Then, he had a six-game stretch that saw him shoot a woeful 20.6 percent (7-for-34), including an 0-for-19 streak.
But Smart has rebounded in the seven games since those six eyesores, shooting 51.7 percent from 3-point range. His current 37.1 3-point percentage ranks behind only Kyrie Irving (42.2 percent), Daniel Theis (42.1 percent) and Marcus Morris (38.0 percent) among Celtics who actually get legitimate playing time.
(Brad Wanamaker and PJ Dozier technically top the list, but we all know they don’t really count. Theis also might be a stretch, too.)
Of course, whether the ball actually goes in the net is only part of the perceived issue with Smart. It’s his occasionally brutal (and sometimes unfairly criticized) shot selection that really elicits groans from Green Teamers. And that’s fine, as he’s done more than enough to justify concerns over his 3-point shooting.
But stats don’t lie, and as of right now, the numbers show that Smart is a more capable 3-pointer shooter than some of his more celebrated teammates.
