![]() And there's really nobody like Marcus Smart in the league. Some of the things he does on the court you’re like, ‘What is going on?’” said Derrick White, who elevated to All-Defense status playing alongside Smart. There’s no one that can quite replace Smart, on or off the court, even if the Celtics might still thrive without him here. ![]() The Smart-Holiday comparisons are inevitable but the way they utilize their All-Defensive talents is … different. Watching Holiday lunge on the floor late in Friday’s win in Toronto, forcing the Raptors to scramble on a play that ended with a Porzingis block, felt unique in a way that Smart made it feel ordinary. They still have plenty of talent on that end. The Celtics rank third in the NBA in defense through 12 games this season. In a game that looked like Boston had no hope, Smart might take a couple of charges and turn around the entire outlook (Right, James Harden?) Smart might have aggravated you with his 3-point shot selection for three quarters, but then he was going to dive on the ground to get a loose ball in a must-have, crunch-time moment. Without Smart, the Celtics don’t have the same chaos factor on the court. “He was a great teammate and player, and his competitive abilities were incredible.” Just creative and engaging and like really one-of-a-kind as a player,” said Luke Kornet. "I'm going to miss watching him play basketball because he was a lot of fun to watch. It would probably be even more jarring if Boston hadn’t been able to acquire Jrue Holiday right before the start of the season, as Holiday has been able to maintain a high level of defensive intensity at the guard position. That Smart isn’t here as the Celtics try to get over a final hump and secure elusive Banner 18 feels … different. At that time, it was a hell of a feeling.” ![]() We didn't accomplish the main goal but we finally got over that hump. It was that moment of me, him, and Jaylen, talking on the court when we won Game 7. Been in the playoffs, we got to the Finals together. To see him leave - I thought I was going to play with Smart my entire career. “He was the most beloved Celtic that we had on our team. “ a big part of this culture,” said Jayson Tatum. That will be a particularly emotional night at TD Garden. Smart’s first opportunity to play against his former team now won’t come until February 4 when Memphis visits Boston. The loss of Smart comes as the Grizzlies navigate a rocky, injury-filled start to a season with superstar guard Ja Morant serving a 25-game suspension. But Smart injured his ankle in a loss to the Lakers on Tuesday night and is expected to be sidelined for the next 3-5 weeks. The Celtics make their only visit to Memphis on Sunday night for what should have been their first chance to compete against Smart. He really represented Boston.”Īfter nine seasons in green, Smart’s tenure ended in June when he was dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies as a last-minute addition to a trade package that brought back Kristaps Porzingis. He was always the first one to the floor for a loose ball. “On the court, the way he played, it was tenacious," Hauser said. Then came the quick pivot to the basketball side of Smart. ![]() It was sunny out,” Hauser added with a laugh. Most NBA players tend to err on the side of comfort when traveling - sweatpants, hoodies, slides - but who could blame Smart for being weather-conscious? “I’ll never forget when he wore these like knee-high rain boots to the plane one day,” said Sam Hauser.
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