Marcus Smart is embracing his role as the Boston Celtics' sixth man.
Per Jay King of The Athletic, Smart didn't shy away from being a bench player and called his position a “stretch 6” when asked for the role he plays with the Beantown team.
Marcus Smart on his position: “I’m a stretch 6. That’s what I call myself.”
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) October 19, 2019
It's interesting that Smart has established himself as a sixth man, and the numbers back him up on this one. Although he started 60 games for the team last year, he has come off the bench in 198 out of 341 games.
Moreover, in the five years he has spent with the Celtics, he has career averages of 9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists. While he's still far from being a great shooter, his defense more than makes up for it — as proven by his 1.6 steals average.
His all-around skill set is an important piece for the Celtics. He's been inserted to multiple lineups over the years, and his versatility will be needed once again as Boston attempts to make a deep playoff run this season.
However, Smart knows that his skills alone won't bring home the title back to the TD Garden. This is why he's very excited for the team's rookies and their potential contribution to the team.
“You know that they’re going to go out there and give the effort and also know exactly where they’re supposed to be,” Boston’s longest-tenured player said, per Celtics Wire. “And if they don’t, they’re going to ask the questions that they need to be asking.”
They will have an easier path to the Finals compared to the stacked Western Conference, but Smart is confident this year's team can make some noise in the postseason.
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