Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel seems to agree with countless Boston Celtics fans when it comes to Marcus Smart.
Then again, countless other Celtics fans probably will think Vogel has no idea what he’s talking about.
It comes with one simple opinion that Vogel voiced prior to the Celtics’ win over the Lakers on Thursday night at Staples Center, a 121-113 decision.
“He’s an All-Star-caliber player in my mind,” Vogel told reporters of Smart, per Celtics reporter Taylor Snow.
Smart responded with a performance in which he scored 15 points on 5-for-8 from the field including a 50 percent clip (3-for-6) from beyond the arc.
The 27-year-old guard always has been an interesting case. Some Celtics fans, as you probably know, believe Smart is completely overrated while many others believe the polar opposite. The latter go to bat for Smart, expressing his defensive-minded skillset and lead-by-example mentality.
Danny Ainge and the Celtics, of course, have acknowledged how valuable Smart is to the team, which is a major reason why the 2014 first-rounder wasn’t traded ahead of last month’s NBA trade deadline.
But All-Star-caliber like Vogel expressed? That’s something we hope to see soon, but Smart’s stats — 13.4 points, 5.6 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 37 games this season — suggest he’s not there yet.
Smart will be a key factor, though, if Boston wants to continue its hot streak which has feature five straight win. That win streak, and the fact the Celtics have won seven of the last eight games certainly has the team feeling good.
