Entering his third season in the NBA, Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart is ready to evolve into a leader.
“I'm improving and trying to improve in every aspect of my game,” said Smart in an interview with Amanda Pflugrad of Celtics.com.
“I'm trying to become more of a second to third or fourth option in scoring… Anything I can do to help my team in the offensive end. I think it's time for me to step up in the offensive end.”
The Celtics will need his help even more this year with the departure of Evan Turner to the Blazers in the offseason.
The team will likely run a second unit consisting of Smart, Gerald Green, third-overall pick Jaylen Brown, Jonas Jerebko and Gonzaga standout Kelly Olynyk.
When asked about his rugged defense, Smart explained how he'd like his reputation around the league to be:
“Hard nosed,” he said. “When people say my name or hear my name I want them to make this face like ‘ugh' I don't wanna play against this guy, just because he plays so hard and I know it's gonna be a long night.”
The 6-foot-2 Oklahoma State product shared what makes his team so special in his eyes:
“What stands out the most about this team is that we can be our worst enemy, but we can also be our own hero,” he said. “One thing that anybody can take from us is that we're gonna play hard every game.”
Smart has shot a combined 35-percent from the floor for his career and while his numbers are modest, his defensive efforts have never been in question, averaging 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
He has the potential to earn more minutes this year as he can play at either guard position according to what the team needs.
“I'm ecstatic about it,” said Smart. “This is a great opportunity for everybody and there's a lot of people that would die to be in this situation that I am right now. It's a blessing. I'm ready to step up, I'm ready for more responsibilities.”
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