Celtics’ Displaying Intensity Despite Losing Marcus Smart’s Flashy Plays

When the Celtics traded Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of the three-team blockbuster trade that allowed Boston to land Kristaps Porzingis, questions lingered as to what identity the team would have minus the flashy plays.

Even though Smart has been ruled out from playing in his first return to TD Garden on Sunday, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla talked about how the team didn’t necessarily lose the intensity and toughness Smart exemplified, according to Boston.com’s Conor Roche.

“You don’t replace him. It just looks different,” Mazzulla said, per Roche. “(Jayson) Tatum dove on the floor for a loose ball. Derrick (White’s) making winning plays and the back tips in transition. Jrue (Holiday’s) (got) constant intensity and focusing on everybody’s strengths and what they’re able to do. Jaylen (Brown’s) individual defense, that’s just as tough as what another player does. It just looks different.”

Mazzulla added: “So, I think you just have to highlight each person’s definition of toughness and how that pertains to helping our team win as well.”

At 37-12, the Celtics own the league’s best overall record, and Mazzulla doesn’t discount the legacy Smart left after his nine years in Boston.

“When you have a guard who plays as hard as he does and guards centers, point guards, picks up full court, boxes out, (takes) charges and does all of those little things, I think, go into it,” Mazzulla said. “For him to win Defensive Player of the Year, he was the first guard since Gary Payton (in 1995-96), it’s always been big to do it. So, when you see a guard have an impact on the game at so many levels the way he did, I think that’s kind of what started it.”

The Celtics will look to get back in the win column after the 114-105 brutal loss to the shorthanded Los Angles Lakers handed Boston their third home defeat in five games.