Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart didn’t receive any votes for Defensive Player of the Year, but didn’t come up completely empty in league recognition.
After the Celtics made easy work of the 76ers in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, Smart was honored with the NBA Hustle Award for the 2023 regular season, becoming the league’s recipient for the second straight year and third time in total. Considering Smart’s gritty nature that never fails to make an appearance, whether that be on Opening Night or the NBA Finals, the victory should come as no surprise.
And that was the case when Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla responded to Smart’s win, hours afterward.
“His commitment to physicality. I think that’s the most important thing,” Mazzulla told reporters Thursday, per CLNS Media video. “Every single night he brings a commitment to being physical, to being the hardest playing guy on the team. And what’s good about him is his ability to be physical and at the same time be detailed in his defense and his scouts and his preparation. He’s just the spearhead of our defense.”
Aside from now having three Hustle Awards to his name, Smart isn’t new to notching league recognition and hardware. Last season the 29-year-old was named Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first guard to win the award since Gary Payton 26 years prior (1996).
When the Celtics kicked off their first-round series with the Atlanta Hawks, Mazzulla mentioned how Smart fueling coming up short in the defensive player voting ballot, wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. But heading into Game 3 at Philadelphia, Smart will have to look elsewhere for a chip on his shoulder.
“I’m a big spite guy, so yeah,” Mazzulla said.
