Boston Celtics small forward Jaylen Brown believes his teammate, Marcus Smart, is the best defender in the NBA.

Brown's statement comes on the heels of the NBA announcing the three finalists for the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year award. Smart was not on the list.

Marcus Smart is one of the most versatile defenders in the league. It appears the NBA voters, though, don't see his impact being as great as Giannis Antetokounmpo's or Anthony Davis'.

Smart will surely appreciate the support from Brown. This Celtics team is one of the closest squads at Disney World and they are coming off a dominant win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday. There's a chance Boston can make some serious noise in the 2020 playoffs since the team is a close-knit group and the players are seemingly always on the same page, unlike last season.

Smart is averaging 13.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists for the Celtics in 58 games this season. Brown, meanwhile, is putting up 20.6 points, 6.3 boards, and 2.1 assists nightly.

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Boston has already locked up Smart and Brown for the foreseeable future. Once the franchise signs Jayson Tatum to a rookie-scale extension this offseason, the Celtics' core will be intact for a while.

Most pundits believe the Milwaukee Bucks or Raptors will come out of the East. Don't sleep on the Celtics, though, especially after their statement win over Toronto.