Marcus Smart is known for his defensive prowess, and rightfully so, but it appears the 6-foot-3 guard isn’t shy about his confidence in that area, either.
Smart’s teammates and coaches always have spoken very highly about his defensive capabilities. Unsurprisingly, that had yet to change as of the Boston Celtics’ Friday-morning shootaround ahead of their matchup with the Golden State Warriors. Brad Stevens, Kemba Walker and others praised Smart’s defense, but the 25-year-old’s conversation with MassLive’s John Karalis showed that he’s rather confident in himself as well.
“When a team is playing good defense, we all feel good,” Smart told Karalis on Friday. “Everybody feels good about themselves, including me. For me, that’s even more dangerous on the defensive end because I already feel good about myself. If I can feel even better, then for opponents, it’s going to be really tough for them.”
Smart’s ability to take on a matchup of larger stature always has separated him from the rest of the NBA’s premier perimeter defenders. The Oklahoma State product is well aware of this, and even went as far to say the sky is the limit when it comes to his defensive potential.
“I consider myself when I get into those situations like a super saiyan, like Goku. I can reach another level,” Smart said, referencing an anime character. “There’s no limits to where I can go, so I gotta continue to keep pushing myself and helping this team in each and every way that I can.”
The Celtics and the Warriors tip off Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET from Chase Center in San Francisco.
