Marcus Smart

Marcus Smart

29-Year-Old GuardG
Boston Celtics
2022 Fantasy Outlook
The 2021-22 season marked the first year Boston let Smart be its primary point guard. For the most part, the results were positive. Smart won Defensive Player of the Year, dished a career-high 5.9 assists per game and helped the C's reach the NBA Finals. But when the season ended, President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens admitted the team needed more playmaking. Stevens then traded for veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon, who also averaged 5.9 dimes per contest last year. Brogdon is expected to play a sixth-man role, backing up Smart and Jaylen Brown. With Brogdon, plus a full season of Derrick White, Boston is deeper in the backcourt than they have been recently. Smart might finally be able to play fewer than 32 minutes per game -- something that hasn't happened since 2018-19. It should also be noted that the veteran guard has improved his shooting from "worrisome" to "almost adequate". Last season, Smart shot better than 41 percent from the field, something he's only done twice in his eight-year career. That shooting is much tolerable when one remembers the DPOY can guard positions one through four, snag 1.7 steals and hit 1.7 triples per game. Look for Smart to continue as Boston's primary point guard while deferring to stars Brown and Jayson Tatum on the offensive end. Read Past Outlooks
RANKSFrom Preseason
#98
ADP
$Signed a four-year, $76.49 million contract extension with the Celtics in August of 2021.
Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary

Marcus Smart was born March 6, 1994 in Flower Mound, Texas, and is the youngest of four sons of Camellia Smart and Billy Frank Smart. Smart played competitive football until the sixth grade and enjoys playing tennis. During his college days at Oklahoma State, he was also a member of the 2014 USA Select Team that practiced against Team USA in preparation for the 2014 FIBA World Championship. Smart was also a member of the U19 Team USA squad that won the gold medal during the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championships. During his professional career, Smart founded the YounGameChanger Foundation to, in the words of the foundation, "provide families with seriously and chronically ill children with encouragement and life-changing experiences and to be a voice of motivation, empowerment and encouragement to inner city young athletes to be game changers off the court or field." Learn more about the foundation and Smart's annual Bowling Bash at marcussmart.org. Follow Smart on Twitter @smart_MS3, on Instagram @youngamechanger and on Facebook @MarcusSmartOfficial. For two seasons, Marcus Smart was a fierce leader for Oklahoma State University. During his freshman year (2012-13) he earned a slew of awards. Smart received the Itegris Wayman Tisdale Award, presented by the USBWA to the nation's top freshman. He was named a Second Team All-American, Sporting News' National Freshman of the Year and Big 12 Player of the Year among many other accolades. His 99 steals tied the OSU single-season record. Overall, Smart delivered 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.0 steals across 34 minutes per game. He would deliver similar stats his sophomore season -- 18.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.9 steals in 32.7 minutes per game. He was named to both the All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12 All-Defensive Team. During both of Smart's seasons at OSU, the Cowboys would qualify for the NCAA Tournament and lose in the second round.

Back-to-back 20-point games
GBoston Celtics
May 28, 2023
Smart closed with 21 points (7-15 FG, 4-11 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds and one assist in 42 minutes during Saturday's 104-103 victory over the Heat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
ANALYSIS
After averaging just 9.8 points over the first four games of the series, Smart has picked up his scoring in Games 5 and 6, though at the detriment of his assist numbers. The point guard is extremely versatile, but it appears he's going to have to continue scoring in bunches, as Miami figures to focus its attention on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown during Game 7. Across the first six matchups of the Eastern Conference Finals, Smart has averaged 13.8 points, 5.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 34.0 minutes per game.
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Marcus Smart See More
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Saturday, May 27
2 days ago
Dan Bruno believes Marcus Smart deserves a spot in his DraftKings lineups for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
NBA DFS: FanDuel Lineup Plays and Strategy for Saturday, May 27
2 days ago
Juan Carlos Blanco likes Derrick White's value for his FanDuel lineups ahead of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo Plays and Strategy for Saturday, May 27
2 days ago
Joel Bartilotta expects Jayson Tatum to rise to the occasion once again in an elimination game, making him a great DFS play Saturday.
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4 days ago
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NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Thursday, May 25
4 days ago
Dan Bruno analyzes Thursday's Game 5 between the Celtics and Heat, trying to find value for DraftKings DFS.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
No repeat performance
GBoston Celtics
May 9, 2023
Smart did not make an All-Defensive team this season, falling 19 votes behind Dillon Brooks for the final guard spot, per NBA.com.
ANALYSIS
Smart, the Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and back-to-back winner of the NBA Hustle Award, was the leading vote-getter among all guards who fell short. Brooks' inclusion as a guard is debatable, but he finished with a sizable cushion on Smart regardless.
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2021
2020
2019
2018
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2016
2015
2014
The departure of Kemba Walker appeared to alter Marcus Smart's role with Boston, but then the C's added Dennis Schroder late in free agency. Now, heading into his eighth NBA season, Smart's role for 2021-22 is unclear. Will he slide over to become Boston's new starting point guard? Or will Schroder start at the point, allowing Smart to stay in his starting-wing-reserve-point-guard hybrid role which he has embraced the last few seasons? The latter situation seems more likely, though Smart is coming off a 2020-21 season in which he dished a career-high and team-best 5.7 assists per game. Smart as starting PG assumes Schroder returns to his off-the-bench, instant-offense role he had with OKC in 2019-20. Surprise sophomore point guard Payton Pritchard will also be part of the backcourt mix. The defensive-minded Smart has averaged 1.7 steals and 0.4 blocks per game over his past three seasons. He's the undisputed defensive leader for the C's and happy to guard bigger wings regardless of his offensive assignment. Smart's negatives include poor outside shooting and nagging injuries. Last season, he missed 19 games in February and March due to a calf injury and shot only 39.8 percent from the field. Overall, Smart seems likely to replicate his 2020-21 numbers in which he delivered career-highs in points (13.1) and assists, but struggled with his shot.
Smart improved across the board in 2019-20, posting career highs in points, assists, three-pointers and blocks per game. Expect that trend to continue with Gordon Hayward leaving for Charlotte. Hayward's departure leaves the door wide open for Smart to be a regular starter for Boston -- a role he filled during Hayward's various past injuries. Unfortunately, many of Smart's best attributes don't aid fantasy managers. Smart can defend positions one through four and is the emotional leader of the squad. Alas, none of that helps with his shooting woes. Smart shot 37.5 percent from the field in 2019-20. On the positive, Smart shot a career-best 83.6 percent from the charity stripe and drained 2.3 triples per game over a career-best 32.0 minutes per contest. The minutes will again be there for Boston's best defender, and it's not out of the question Smart returns to the 42.2 percent shooting accuracy he displayed in 2018-19. Combine improved shooting with two-plus steals-and-blocks per game, and Smart will be a late-round steal.
Smart comes into the new season with more clarity in the Celtics' backcourt than he's had in three seasons. With Kyrie Irving and Terry Rozier no longer on the roster, Smart has a strong opportunity to start at the two-guard next to Kemba Walker. Known for his nagging defense, Smart recorded a career-high 2.0 combined blocks/steals per game in 2018-19 and finished third in the NBA in total steals en route to his first All-Defensive Team selection. He's recorded at least 1.7 combined blocks/steals in all five seasons in his career, and it's fair to expect that level of production to continue in 2019-20. Though Smart produced a four-year low in points (8.9), he improved his efficiency tremendously with career highs in field goal percentage (42.2) and three-point percentage (36.4). Smart has also averaged 3.9 assists and 3.6 rebounds in his career, and those numbers could see a bump in 2019-20 without Irving and Rozier. The defensive production should remain elite this season, but Smart's true value lies in his ability to continue improving his shooting.
After a lengthy restricted free agency stand-off, Smart and his feisty defense are staying in Boston. The versatile defender signed a four-year contract in July to stay with the team that drafted him sixth overall back in 2014. While Boston retained its most versatile defender, Smart's return further complicates what was already going to be a logjam in the backcourt and on the wing. Smart can play the point, shooting guard or small forward, but opportunities at all three positions will be hotly contested. At point guard, Boston expects a full -season out of Kyrie Irving, after losing him in March to a knee injury. While Irving was out, Terry Rozier, who's set to hit free agency next summer, proved worthy of starter's minutes. Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward and Jayson Tatum will each command significant roles on the wing, so it seems inevitable that Smart’s minutes will take a bit of a dip in 2018-19. The hope is that Smart will finally demonstrate some meaningful improvement as a jump-shooter, though at this point that may be wishful thinking. The four-year veteran is shooting 36 percent from the field for his career, with few indications of improvement. Poor shooting aside, Smart led Boston in steals per game last season, as well as assists per minute.
Over Smart’s first three years in the Association, no one has ever questioned his defensive ferocity. The problem is his shooting. It was assumed that Smart would improve from the 37 percent effort that occurred his rookie season. Unfortunately, Smart’s shooting has actually gotten worse. After struggling to shoot 35 percent during his sophomore season, Smart posted a meager 36 percent in 2016-17. Still, Coach Brad Stevens continued to stress Smart’s game changing defensive plays, increasing his floor time to 30.0 minutes per game in 2016-17. The guard’s 4.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 threes made per game (last year’s stats) certainly make his poor shooting more tolerable. And with Avery Bradley now in Detroit, Smart has the opportunity to battle Jaylen Brown for the starting shooting guard spot. Smart currently sits atop the shooting guard depth chart due to seniority, but much can change throughout the preseason. Coach Stevens likes going small with Smart off the bench, asking Smart to shut down opposing small forwards. Stevens would lose that defensive bench flexibility with Smart in the starting lineup. With Jae Crowder now in Cleveland, expect Smart’s defensive shutdown assignments to increase. Either as a starter or sixth man, expect Smart’s minutes to stay the course. And expect similar shooting woes, too.
After an up-and-down rookie season, Smart followed up with much of the same in 2015-16. The former lottery pick struggled mightily as a shooter, converting just 34.8 percent of his attempts from the field and a horrific 25.3 percent from three-point land. Even so, his tenacious defense and relentless attacking ability kept him firmly in coach Brad Stevens' deep rotation, when healthy. Smart missed 21 games, including 18 in a row from Nov. 22 to Dec. 27 while recovering from a lower-leg injury, but played in the Celtics' final 52 contests. Smart began the year as a starter but played exclusively off the bench after returning from injury. His role wasn't greatly impacted, however, as he saw at least 20 minutes in every game after Dec. 31. The 22-year-old remains a foundational piece in a still-developing Celtics backcourt, but he simply must improve his shooting efficiency to mount a serious challenge to Avery Bradley for the starting shooting guard spot. With Evan Turner now in Portland, Smart projects to serve as the Celtics' versatile sixth man, vacillating between both guard spots depending on need.
As a rookie in 2014-15, Smart struggled through Achilles and ankle injuries to play in 67 games, averaging 7.8 points, 3.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 three-pointers per game. When available, Smart and Avery Bradley made for a lethal defensive backcourt, giving head coach Brad Stevens lots of opportunities to frustrate opponents, but Smart struggled offensively, shooting only 37 percent from the field, 34 percent from three land, and 65 percent from the free-throw line. The Celtics would clearly like to improve on Smart's 27 minutes per game, but that will be difficult with 2015 first-round picks Terry Rozier and R. J. Hunter also needing backcourt minutes to develop. Plus, the C's desperately need Isaiah Thomas' scoring. Evan Turner also proved last year that he can play both backcourt positions. Smart's aggressive defensive style leads to injuries, as demonstrated by the two fingers he dislocated during the Las Vegas Summer League. GM Danny Ainge's constant collecting of assets will eventually result in a trade that will shuffle the roster, which could further improve Smart's opportunities to play. Smart, the sixth pick of the 2014 draft, clearly has loads of potential. But there are too many obstacles in his path to predict a breakout sophomore season.
Smart is viewed as a combo guard with a primary focus as a point guard. If the Celtics drafted him to be a shooting guard, he'll need to improve in one significant area – his shooting. The sixth-overall pick in the draft shot just 29 percent during the summer league. While he managed to make 42 percent of his shots at Oklahoma State, much of that was due to Smart's ability to get to the rim. He made just 28 percent of his jump shots in the half-court offense. Smart is well-built and uses his body to create opportunities for himself, particularly on the drive. He averaged more than eight free-throw attempts per game for the Cowboys last season. Smart's also considered one of the top perimeter defenders coming out of college this year, a trait that pleases coach Brad Stevens. The coach has talked about establishing a "defensive DNA" for his team, and Smart fits that profile. He now joins a Celtics team that's got an elite point guard in Rajon Rondo and just signed its shooting guard, Avery Bradley, to a four-year contract. Initially, it looks like Smart will back up both guard spots. However, there's potential for an increased role later in the season, particularly if Boston trades Rondo, who is in the final year of his contract before hitting unrestricted free agency.
More Fantasy News
Outsmarts Heat in victory
GBoston Celtics
May 25, 2023
Smart closed with 23 points (7-12 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 5-6 FT), three rebounds, two assists and five steals across 30 minutes during Thursday's 110-97 win over the Heat in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
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Top distributor in double-double
GBoston Celtics
May 17, 2023
Smart produced 13 points (3-7 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 5-8 FT), one rebound, 11 assists, one block and two steals over 34 minutes during Wednesday's 123-116 loss to Miami in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
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Scores inefficient 14 points
GBoston Celtics
May 10, 2023
Smart produced 14 points (2-7 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 8-10 FT), three rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes during Tuesday's 115-103 loss to the 76ers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
ANALYSIS
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Top distributor in Game 4 defeat
GBoston Celtics
May 7, 2023
Smart notched 21 points (6-15 FG, 4-10 3Pt, 5-5 FT), three rebounds and seven assists over 42 minutes during Sunday's 116-115 overtime loss to Philadelphia in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
ANALYSIS
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Will play Sunday
GBoston Celtics
May 7, 2023
Smart (ankle) is available for Sunday's Game 4 versus Philadelphia, Keith Smith of Spotrac.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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