Marcus Smart has been rewarded for his hard-nosed style of play.
The NBA announced Wednesday that Smart has been named to the All-Defensive First Team for the 2018-19 season. It’s the Boston Celtics guard’s first time receiving an All-Defensive nod.
Smart is joined on the All-Defensive First Team by Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe.
This marks the second consecutive season a Celtics player has earned All-Defensive honors, as Al Horford was named to the Second Team for the 2017-18 campaign. Smart is the first Celtics player to land on the First Team since Avery Bradley in 2015-16.
Smart, the sixth overall pick in 2014, is coming off his fifth NBA season with the Celtics. The 25-year-old registered career-highs in both steals (143) and steals per game (1.8) in addition to averaging 8.9 points, 4.0 assists and 2.9 rebounds per contest.
Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors, Jrue Holiday of the New Orleans Pelicans and Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors received All-Defensive Second Team honors.
The NBA All-Defensive Teams were selected by a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Smart received 63 First Team votes and totaled 145 points.
