Steve Kerr knows firsthand how much Marcus Smart can impact a game.
The Warriors head coach has had the opportunity to coach Smart, but now his team will have to defend him when Golden State and the Boston Celtics begin their NBA Finals matchup Thursday night.
Smart, the Defensive Player of the Year, never is afraid to put his body on the line, and Kerr praised the guard Wednesday during his media availability.
“I coached Marcus in the World Cup a few summers ago, along with Jayson (Tatum) and Jaylen (Brown) and Kemba (Walker). At the time, we had four Celtics on the team,” Kerr told reporters, as transcribed by ASAP Sports. “I’ve gotten to know these guys a little bit; Jayson last year during the Olympics. So it’s been fun to get to know them.
“But Marcus, I described him (Tuesday) as kind of the guard version of Draymond (Green). He’s just all over the place defensively. Really, really smart. Anticipates plays. Understands angles. The versatility to guard 1 through 5. It’s all there.
“So there’s a reason he won Defensive Player of the Year. He’s a great, great defender and probably an underrated offensive player, as well.”
We’re sure Celtics fans would rather have the ball in Tatum’s hands in the final 20 seconds of a game, but there’s no denying Smart’s confidence to shoot in order to help his team win while also becoming a leader.
Tipoff for Celtics-Warriors Game 1 from Chase Center is set for 9 p.m. ET.
