If you think change is necessary for the Celtics, you might have to look outside the “medium three” of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart.
Of that trio, Smart has always seemed like the most expendable. He is constantly lauded for his defense and intangibles, but his shot selection and overall offensive game leave something to be desired. To call him untouchable or put him on the same level as Brown and Tatum is, quite frankly, a little insulting to those two budding superstars.
Yet, Smart has a lot of important fans inside the Celtics’ front office. While one of those supporters, Danny Ainge, is gone, new president of basketball operations and former coach Brad Stevens loves Smart. Apparently, so does new head coach Ime Udoka, who praised Smart in his introductory press conference Monday and doubled down Tuesday in a radio spot with “Zolak and Bertrand” on 98.5 The Sports Hub.
“I spent time with all three of those guys, and as I mentioned yesterday, they all bring something different to the team. What Marcus brings is invaluable. It’s the heart and soul of the team at times,” Udoka raved Tuesday in the interview.
That doesn’t sound like a head coach who’s ready to see that player walk out the door as part of some sort of roster shake-up.
Udoka has worked with Smart in the past as part of USA Basketball and was impressed by how fearless the guard was when going up against elite competition. That attitude certainly hasn’t left Smart in recent years.
“He has that edge and toughness about him, so the things he brings to your team are the things you’d love every player to bring,” Udoka added. “You hate playing against him, but you want him on your side. So he’s another foundational piece. He’s been here through thick and thin, seen the winning and seen some downtimes, so what he does for Jayson and Jaylen is invaluable in my eyes.”
The Celtics are in the midst of a fascinating offseason. They already have reorganized the front office and coaching staff. Kemba Walker is gone, and Al Horford is back.
Is that enough to cure what ailed a clearly broken team? Probably not. The Celtics still have a roster that could use improvement, and they’re not yet an NBA title contender. They will continue to be linked with players like Damian Lillard.
However, if Boston is going to make a splash, it likely will have to move at least one of those three supposed pillars, and publicly, that doesn’t sound like something they’re willing to do.
