Brad Stevens Highlights Importance Of This Celtic As Season Restart Nears

It takes a full-team effort to make a deep NBA playoff run, but the Celtics likely will be leaning on a few players, in particular, over the remainder of the 2019-20 season.

Jayson Tatum, of course, is critical to Boston’s success, as the third-year pro this season has established himself as the team’s go-to scorer. Having Kemba Walker healthy and playing at a high level also would go a long way in helping the C’s make a true run at the Eastern Conference crown.

The importance of Marcus Smart also cannot be overlooked, a sentiment head coach Brad Stevens expressed Sunday prior to the Celtics’ scrimmage win over the Phoenix Suns.

There’s no denying Smart is the heart and soul of the C’s. The 26-year-old is capable of changing the momentum of games with his high energy and tenacious style of play. He’s also the longest-tenured Celtic on the roster, and he’s seemed to have fully embraced the role of a veteran leader on this fairly young and inexperienced Boston team.

Smart long has viewed himself as a “game changer,” and he’ll need to live up to that billing if the Celtics want to make some real noise inside the Orlando bubble.

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