Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart has impressed this season with his defense, energy and hustle. In fact, he has impressed so much that future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade has given the former Oklahoma State star his endorsement for Defensive Player of the Year.
“Listen I know that this award is usually a big man's award … But this year, we need to get back to the Gary Paytons of the world, the Michael Jordans of the world, where guards get the Defensive Player of the Year Award,” Dwyane Wade said of Smart during Tuesday's game against the Celtics and Brooklyn Nets, via Taylor Snow of Celtics.com.
“What Marcus Smart has done, I mean you saw him tonight when he met The Fro (Jarrett Allen) at the rim — I mean he's fearless. And it's not just the blocks; it's the hustle, it's the diving on the floor for the ball, it's the switching one through five that the guy does. So I think he deserves more credit.”
Smart earned his first All-Defensive team honor last season, and he is expected to replicate that feat this 2019-20 campaign. The 6-foot-3, 227-pound guard has been the heart and soul of a Celtics defense that ranks second in the NBA with 106.6 points allowed per game.
From a statistical standpoint, Smart is averaging a career-high 12.9 points, 4.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game while shooting over 35 percent from deep for the second-straight season.
Smart's 14 points and 10 assists on Tuesday gave the 25-year-old the second double-double of the season. However, his foul on a Caris LeVert 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left allowed Brooklyn to secure a come-from-behind victory against the Celtics.
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