Thank you, Marcus

[BrandyWhine]

It was the right time, lotta wear on those tires.
But Marcus was special; the hustle, the grit, the determination.
Tip of the hat and a standing O for Marcus.

 

[luckiestman]

What?!

Why?!

I liked him!

Did he want to get traded?

Trade bombed in the luckiest household.

 

[Bunt Single]

Ah. Would have really *really* liked to have won a championship with Smart -- one of my favorite Celtics over the last few years. The trade makes sound sense, and I do think the C's got good value here.
But I'm soooo torn on this.

 

[Bunt4aTriple]

The Harden implosion is hard to beat, but one of my favorite games of his was his return to the lineup in game 5 vs. the Bucks in 2018. @tonyandpals hooked me and 3 buddies up in the Boardroom while we were in town for a conference. Marcus checked in late in the first and immediately dove on the ground for a loose ball and the place erupted.

Then, two plays to help clinch the win. First a block of Giannis:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v89rPk9_Cok&t=498s&ab_channel=HNBMediaTV-Highlights%26Sports


Followed by him snatching a easy bucket from the jaws of near turnover/jumpball:
View: https://youtu.be/v89rPk9_Cok?t=517


My daughter was devastated this morning, although I think she dialed it up 10% to ensure she gets a replacement jersey.

 

[ifmanis5]

What?!

Why?!

I liked him!

Did he want to get traded?

Trade bombed in the luckiest household.

Ha. Quickly followed by The Talk.

 

[osori]

I loved Marcus here.

But not really sad to see him go, change was needed and D. White is just too good.

I will miss the NO NO NO YES reactions in game threads.

 

[Zososoxfan]

I don't follow the NBA or the Celts much except for postseason bandwagoning, but I LOVED when Danny drafted Smart all those years ago. Marcus was one of those players that scouts doubted, but fans believed in 100%. The Tommy Point system should be renamed the Marcus Point system (all respect due to Waltah). I'll miss him dearly.

 

[BigSoxFan]

I don't follow the NBA or the Celts much except for postseason bandwagoning, but I LOVED when Danny drafted Smart all those years ago. Marcus was one of those players that scouts doubted, but fans believed in 100%. The Tommy Point system should be renamed the Marcus Point system (all respect due to Waltah). I'll miss him dearly.

Smart had an interesting college career. At one point, he was rumored to be the #1 pick in the 2013 draft. He ultimately decided against going pro in 2013 and, thankfully, went pro in 2014. That final college season he got some negative press for going after that racist fan in the stands (go, Marcus!) but you could tell he was a tough player.

I'm in the group who thought it was time to move on but he will remain one of the most beloved Celtics players. Really is a shame he didn't get that Celtics ring. But, hey, maybe he can come back in a few years and help the Jay's win their 3rd ring.

 

[MyDaughterLovesTomGordon]

Nothing is forever. This doesn't have to be his permanent departure. Down the road, Marcus could come back and hopefully win a title with the C's. I think it's a good time to try a new direction with a new voice. The C's just got a bit softer though as Marcus seemed to be their most hard-nosed player. Thank you Marcus - a pantheon No, no - yes! guy.

I could totally see Marcus turning into a PJ Tucker type who hangs around for a long time in the league, moving around to teams who need a little toughness and edge.

 

[jasail]

I love Marcus. He bled green. He left it all on the court and he was great in the community. Watching him develop and mature from a hot headed tough youth to a respected grizzled vet was a privilege. I will miss watching him play. He was an enigma, a rollercoaster. A unique blend of hustle, hard work, athleticism, and smarts that he frequently paired with mental lapses, loss of composure, and lack of feel for the game. I don't think it's a coincidence that the 2019 - 2023 Celtics were consistently the most inconsistent team on the planet and Marcus Smart was their spirit animal. This era could be the No No Yes Celtics.

 

[JakeRae]

Smart was my favorite player on the team. He left everything on the court. He was always willing to sacrifice his game and his stats for the team, whether that meant playing out of position, coming off the bench when he should’ve been starting, or forcing offense at the expense of his stats and reputation when no one else was willing to. He left everything on the court at all times. And a lot of that meant that fans and media consistently underrated how good he is and how valuable he was to this team.

Even knowing how unrealistic it was, I always hoped Smart would spend his whole career here, help this core to multiple titles, and finish with his number in the rafters. I’m sad that dream is dead, but I will always think of Smart as a Celtic first and one that was a critical piece of the Celtics smooth and consistently competitive transition from the KG/Pierce era to the Tatum era. He will be missed.

 

[luckiestman]

Nice moment from BS and KOC when they go "out of analyst mode" to mention how much they like Marcus.

 

[Burkharts Uppercut]

Another Marcus moment that will stick with me was when prime all-star Paul Millsap was in a game where he puts up 45. Smart has had enough and switches onto him in the post. What ensues is Millsap's basketball soul dying inside. With Marcus, you could expect the unexpected. This trade is a bummer.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gxg-w2nSjA

 

[jmcc5400]

Among my favorite Marcus doing Marcus things sequences, the last 90 seconds against Philly in Game 5 of the ECF in 2018. In particular I love the intentionally missed free throw that he accidentally made with 2.4 left and where he ended up after that.

View: https://youtu.be/Ap7bimyu9fA?t=490

 

[Mugsy's Jock]

View: https://youtu.be/1a4CnOtVn0U

This actually just made me well up a little.

 

[67YAZ]

What a bummer. Dude had an irrational level of confidence grown from ferocious intensity and elite effort. Smart gave these Celtics their persona - a swagger and hustle that hopefully has been deeply imprinted on the Jays.

 

[Johnnyfnfoxboro]

Never seen a man play with more heart. You will be missed!

 

[The Mort Report]

I love Marcus. I loved everything he brought to the team and the city, and I’m going to miss rooting for him. That being said, I’ve thought for a while he needed to go. He fit the identity of Brad’s playoff teams; plucky, tough, fun to root for and can maybe steal a game/series but intimately not good enough to win it all. It seemed to get worse this year, and while yes, he was still capable of making an endgame altering play to give the C’s a chance, they were often only in that position because of his bad decisions on 3 of the previous 5 possessions. With DWhite closing it out now, I think the C’s will be finishing games much cleaner

 

[Cellar-Door]

Marcus was a really fun guy to have on the team for a number of years, just really underrated and I loved his attitude. He was also an awesome guy off the court, embraced his status, had fun on twitter, by all accounts the first guy in line to volunteer for everything in the community. He's still all of the later, but on-court he kind of became a microcausm of the team, he wanted to be the playmaker they needed, but he just couldn't quite get there, he wanted to be the leader, but he always was a bit too emotional and inconsistent. He became an oversized influence for his place in the pecking order, and the team took on a lot of him in it's identity. On D that could be really good, on offense it was a real problem.

Marcus is probably going to go to MEM and look great. And I'm sure people will miss him on D especially when Brogdon (if he's here) struggles on D, or White gets bullied with size.... but I think this trade makes the team better short and long term, and clears out a guy who was really difficult (not in a bad attitude way) to deal with... couldn't bench him for White even when it made sense, couldn't replace him in the closing 5, which meant he was going to get a few too many key possessions on offense as defenses gave the Celtics that.

But.... still maybe the guy who will define his 8 year run, particularly those years that the Celtics were scrappy overachievers who just went a little further and won a little more than anyone expected just on regular season effort and a dedication to being a huge pain in the ass on D.

Smart is a guy who I hope we see back when his career is over (or when he's a vet min guy) because he was so awesome in the community, even if it was probably time for an on-court divorce.

 

[Toe Nash]

This fucking sucks. His contract has been in the danger zone for trades for awhile now, but I always assumed his value to the Celtics outweighed his value to the league at large, meaning he'd never be worth it to trade. I'll wake up someday and wonder how we got KP and 2 first round picks for Smart and spare parts, but for now I'm pretty down. It's a crying shame he didn't get a ring with Boston. He leaves as the Celtic with the most games played and 2nd most minutes played (Antoine!) without a title.

This is how I feel, I love the guy, the trade makes the team better, but it's really too bad he never got over the hump and up there with the best Boston players who never got a ring here. I hope when his current deal is over if he's still a useful bench player he can come back for the minimum / on a buyout and win one.

 

[Auger34]

I was always in the middle about Smart. I was never apart of the “Love and Trust” brigade on Twitter but I also was never in the “blame Smart for everything” crowd on here and social media.

But, I have to say, now that he’s gone and I’m reading some articles about him and just how much he loved the Celtics and Boston….this really sucks. Marcus was never a perfect player and he could be fucking maddening on some nights but you could always count on him to show up, give a shit and impact winning. Players like that aren’t a dime a dozen.

Last offseason, I thought Smart had to get traded to give the Jays more of a voice. This off-season….I am not sure I want that. Marcus was a guy that if the team got punched in the mouth, he would attempt to punch back. It may not have always worked but he was going to fight. This is just my opinion, and it could be way off base, but I don’t feel like the Jays are like that on the court. Without him, I think this group is lacking in toughness and fight. I hope I am wrong

 

[snowmanny]

I have really been stung all day by this trade. And I can't say it was a mistake or a bad trade or that they should have kept him. Just hard to see him go.

I will say this: for better or worse, he is the sort of Celtic Red Auerbach never would have traded.

 

[lars10]

I will say this: for better or worse, he is the sort of Celtic Red Auerbach never would have traded.

I don’t think this is true at all.. but how many players would it be true of? Red was always looking to improve the team.

 

[snowmanny]

Really? He kept the 50’s/60’s core to the end: Sanders, KC,Sam, Havlicek, Russell. Wouldn’t trade the 80’s core. Heinsohn was there till he retired. I suppose he traded White and Ainge eventually. And Cowens when he had no choice.

You may be right, but Smart seems to me like the sort of guy he would have loved.

 

[Jimbodandy]

Really? He kept the 50’s/60’s core to the end: Sanders, KC,Sam, Havlicek, Russell. Wouldn’t trade the 80’s core. Heinsohn was there till he retired. I suppose he traded White and Ainge eventually. And Cowens when he had no choice.

You may be right, but Smart seems to me like the sort of guy he would have loved.

Oh yeah, he definitely would have loved Marcus. And then traded him for Porzingis (IMO) and two first rounders.

 

[snowmanny]

Well I’ll take one Walton86esque season from KP and be good.

 

[reggiecleveland]

I was never more wrong than when I disliked the Celtics drafting a nonshooting tweener too small for the wing too slow to play point. One of my because Smart ended up one of my favorite guys ever. My son is questioning his support of the Celtics. We had a good talk about how it sucked seeing Pierce play well for the Nets, but that trade was great for the Cs.

 

[Montana Fan]

Some great call back videos in this thread. As a kid from an underdog neighborhood whose teams often beat the Prima Dona teams during summer league play (and won 2 parks dept championships) I loved Marcus Smart and he could play on my team anytime, anywhere. Tough kid with huge heart.

One of my favorite call backs was an interview JB did years ago and Marcus must have made some Marcus plays during the game and a reporter asked JB about MS. Jaylen’s response, “Marcus gives the same effort in practice, when he’s matched up on me, I check out.” Now that’s a pain in the ass.

Pisses me off that I couldn’t find the picture of Marcus standing on the sideline in his robe and slippers watching Payton Pritchard practice. Love that pic.

 

[Euclis20]

Pisses me off that I couldn’t find the picture of Marcus standing on the sideline in his robe and slippers watching Payton Pritchard practice. Love that pic.

This one?

View: https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1507474769767186435?s=20

 

[Montana Fan]

This one?

View: https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1507474769767186435?s=20

That’s it, thanks!! Lives and breathes basketball. Hope he doesn’t kill Ja.

 

[astrozombie]

Nothing to add to this convo, but I also enjoyed watching Smart and will miss him.

 

[Ale Xander]

I was never more wrong than when I disliked the Celtics drafting a nonshooting tweener too small for the wing too slow to play point. One of my because Smart ended up one of my favorite guys ever. My son is questioning his support of the Celtics. We had a good talk about how it sucked seeing Pierce play well for the Nets, but that trade was great for the Cs.

That was easier because they won in 08 and they were also unquestionably at the end of their careers and the trade was highway robbery

 

[oumbi]

I loved Smart as a Celtic more than I can express.

Did the Celtics get a ridiculously good return on the trade? Yes.

Was it time to let Smart go as age and wear and tear add up? Yes.

Was his style of all out effort about to result in his decline? Yes.

But I still wish he was a Celtic and had a title to show for it.

I will always miss him as a Celtic.

 

[j-man]

this is a risky move for Bos KP is hurt a lot i know he was not this year but most years he is memphis won this trade smart will be loved in that city and his jeresy will hang up there

 

[slamminsammya]

this is a risky move for Bos KP is hurt a lot i know he was not this year but most years he is memphis won this trade smart will be loved in that city and his jeresy will hang up there

Again, him and smart have roughly the same number of games played the past 4 years.

 

[twibnotes]

I know the deal makes sense on paper, but this one stings a lot. Smart is my favorite Celt since Larry and probably my favorite current Boston athlete. Love the compete level, the emotion and the total class act he was in the community. Also loved that he clearly wanted to be in Boston and “got us.” Like Papi in that way.

 

[Beomoose]

Gonna have myself a big old sad about Marcus being shipped out, especially without a ring. The guy has bled green for us and we got oh so close with him on the court. Smart Basketball will be missed.

 

[InstaFace]

View: https://youtu.be/1a4CnOtVn0U

I was going through a tough spot in my life at the time of this game, and probably hung a bit too much emotion on our comeback in that game. And to see it completed this way, with the Marcus Smartiest of all Marcus Smart sequences of play, had me in absolute stitches in the moment, and a lift in my step for days-to-weeks. And the smarmy look of sarcastic resignation on Chris Paul's face! Such is his effect on people.

He will always be an inspiration as an example of someone who got the absolute most out of his talent. None of us can jump like Robert Williams, but all of us could choose to just care more and work harder, and Smart stands as a testament to that still making a difference on the NBA court. Hard work could never make Marcus Smart an MVP candidate, but it could be the difference between winning and losing.

I love him and I trust him. I just wish his contract wasn't such a tradable asset, or that the Clippers had deal fever just a wee bit more, because he deserved to win a title with this team every bit as much as Tatum and Brown do. The Logan Mankins of the Celtics.

edit: this feels a bit like trading the family dog for a slightly smarter, better-tempered, and cuter dog. And all my friends are like "Dude! Your new dog is awesome! So much better than the old dog." And like, sure? Maybe? But that old dog was my dog. We had some times together. I watched him grow from just a little pup. I came to know and celebrate his strengths, and forgive his weaknesses. I always thought that dog would be there for me forever. But hey! New dog! Better than the old dog, they're telling me! Maybe they're even right. I can't talk fully rationally about it. But maybe a part of me just wants to grow old with a dog that loves me forever at my side.

 

[CaptainLaddie]

I fuckin' love Marcus Smart. I mean, I *LOVE* the guy, and also can't stand him at times. I think a lot of us here probably share that sentiment. His 1/11 from 3 nights, his no-no-no-YES! nights, his absolute tenacity and giving his all nights.

Goddamn. Years ago, a friend of mine who's a massive Lakers fan, season ticket holder, etc -- this was probably 2017? -- told me that Marcus was a bust because he'd never become more than just a poor-shooting defense-first guy.

Well, not only did Marcus fix his shot, he got to be okay enough at it that he wasn't a disaster anymore (ie shooting under 36% from the field, never mind on 3PA).

I'll always love him in green -- as I said in the other thread -- now more than ever because my 3.5 year old kid LOVES Marcus because "he has green hair" (she has no idea what's really happening on an NBA court). The first time I watched an NBA game when she was in the room and paying attention, she pointed at the hair and therefore... she loved it. She has a Marcus Smart t-shirt that she wears to preschool and I'm definitely putting it on her tomorrow for camp. She's too young to understand that he won't be on Daddy's team anymore, so I'm not even bringing it up. I'm just letting her wear her t-shirt and she can be happy with it.

Smart will *always* be the first athlete my kid and I had a connection on. That means a lot, and I loved Marcus before my kid was even born. Now, I'm just sad. I get why he was moved, but I honestly didn't think it would ever happen. I thought he'd be in green for life, get a ring, get his number retired (could still happen and probably should!), and be a fixture at Celtics games for the rest of my life.

I hope there's a way where Marcus can play at least one more season in Green.

But, fuck, has there ever been a guy who Memphis fans were going to love more? Maybe other than Z-Bo? Marcus Fuckin' Smart was made to play for the Celtics, but he's also a perfect fit for Grizz culture and that fanbase. They're going to adore him.

 

[djbayko]

Hope he doesn’t kill Ja.

I hope Ja doesn't kill Marcus

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

I love watching Marcus play and remember what he did to Porzingis a couple of times a few years ago but one thing to remember about his offense - teams were okay leaving him open for 3Ps. They were willing to trade letting him take open shots for clogging up driving lanes for JT and JB.

Karalis said on his podcast that Marcus was best when he was playing point and had the ball in his hands - he facilitated more and shot less. Sticking him in a corner to be a catch-and-shoot guy did not play to his strengths.

The Cs braintrust may have also come to the conclusion that a Marcus/JB/JT core was never going to be enough to win a championship. After all, they have had plenty of chances.

Super sad to see him go but hoping for the best for him (until, of course, BOS meets MEM in the finals).

 

[lovegtm]

I love watching Marcus play and remember what he did to Porzingis a couple of times a few years ago but one thing to remember about his offense - teams were okay leaving him open for 3Ps. They were willing to trade letting him take open shots for clogging up driving lanes for JT and JB.

Karalis said on his podcast that Marcus was best when he was playing point and had the ball in his hands - he facilitated more and shot less. Sticking him in a corner to be a catch-and-shoot guy did not play to his strengths.

The Cs braintrust may have also come to the conclusion that a Marcus/JB/JT core was never going to be enough to win a championship. After all, they have had plenty of chances.

Super sad to see him go but hoping for the best for him (until, of course, BOS meets MEM in the finals).

That sells Marcus a bit short offensively with what he learned to do as a screener, and in the post......

.......but I'd much rather have the 7-3 62% TS on high-volume, elite post player be the guy screening and in the post.

Ultimately that's the issue with Marcus on this team, on both ends: he was very very good at doing "X well, for a guard". I'd rather have the guy who does "X well", full stop.

 

[tims4wins]

View: https://twitter.com/smart_MS3/status/1672338094463352837

 

[CaptainLaddie]

Imagine you're Marcus all day, thinking Brogdon's the one getting traded... then at 1230 in the morning you find out that, no, it's you. Gotta be hard.

 

[RSN Diaspora]

I said this in the Porzingis thread, but no other Boston player departure has gutted me like this…not even Brady or Pedro. Now after reading his tweet, I’m gonna go spend the remainder of the evening in my feelings.

 

[Euclis20]

I said this in the Porzingis thread, but no other Boston player departure has gutted me like this…not even Brady or Pedro. Now after reading his tweet, I’m gonna go spend the remainder of the evening in my feelings.

Brady and Pedro weren't as bad for me either, likely because at the end of the day, they won titles that I could always look back on. Isaiah Thomas was pretty damn rough for me, even though he was on the team for just 2.5 years (and that was the rare trade where everyone loses). I might have to go all the way back to Nomar to find a real comparison.

 

[slamminsammya]

I loved and love Marcus. And yet I feel nothing. Mostly just excitement at All of Latvia.

 

[twibnotes]

I said this in the Porzingis thread, but no other Boston player departure has gutted me like this…not even Brady or Pedro. Now after reading his tweet, I’m gonna go spend the remainder of the evening in my feelings.

I feel this way too. Only departure that stung like this was maybe Clemens (not nearly as likable as Smart but it was sad at the time to see him go)

 

[128]

View: https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1672353707298545665

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

I might have to go all the way back to Nomar to find a real comparison.

Nomar is a great comparison. Let's hope that the team results are similar.