Wicked Smart: Celtics select Marcus Smart with No. 6 pick

[HomeRunBaker]

If he's done for the year I would agree but sometimes watching for a month can give a player a different perspective to where he can learn the game without flying in the face of it. Hopefully this time away will slow the game down for him but a month of inactivity isn't going to stunt his development. He'll be competing for the next 4-5 months and this break (no pun) will help him down the stretch so his time is productive rather than fighting the fatigue wall in March and April.

 

[Brickowski]

It's also being reported that nothing was torn.
 
Just about everyone who has played basketball has rolled an ankle like that.  It's why trainers spend hours taping them.  IMHO it's premature to conclude that this will be a huge setback for Smart.

 

[The Social Chair]

ADIDAS strikes again. The worst shoes for an NBA player to wear.

Smart, Rose, Rubio all with injured ankles. All wear ADIDAS.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

ADIDAS strikes again. The worst shoes for an NBA player to wear.

Smart, Rose, Rubio all with injured ankles. All wear ADIDAS.

Honestly curious - could you please explain further?

I used to wear adidas but don't anymore (feet are too wide), but never thought shoes mattered all that much.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Honestly curious - could you please explain further?

I used to wear adidas but don't anymore (feet are too wide), but never thought shoes mattered all that much.

Since Stephen Curry visited with Nike designers and switched shoes he hasn't had an ankle injury after seemingly rolling his foot every other week there for awhile. Not sure what Adidas is doing wrong but with their history it appears to be something.

 

[crystalline]

It's also being reported that nothing was torn.
 
Just about everyone who has played basketball has rolled an ankle like that.  It's why trainers spend hours taping them.  IMHO it's premature to conclude that this will be a huge setback for Smart.

And sometimes those rolls result in bad sprains. In the worst case a bad sprain can keep you out longer than a break.
My wild guess is 6-8 weeks for this one given the way he reacted and got carried off the court. Good news nothing is completely torn.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

And sometimes those rolls result in bad sprains. In the worst case a bad sprain can keep you out longer than a break.
My wild guess is 6-8 weeks for this one given the way he reacted and got carried off the court. Good news nothing is completely torn.

Well yes and no. One of the docs can expound further but his sprain appears to be the most severe which IS a complete tear of the ligaments. I haven't heard the latest reports but I've seen a player have surgery for a similar injury.

 

[RedOctober3829]

Mark Murphy ‏@Murf56 6s7 seconds ago
Smart diagnosed with sprain and bone bruise. According to Ainge initial estimate is that he'll miss two to three weeks.
 

Dodged a big bullet.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Dodged a big bullet.

This is awesome news.

 

[oumbi]

An honest question from a guy who doesn't play basketball and therefore doesn't have a clue on the answer:
 
Why don't all NBA players wrap their ankles more often? On the video I watched of Smart's injury I did not see tape. Taping might not have helped prevent an injury in this case, but obviously it might have reduced the sprain and would probably reduce the number of milder ankle injuries in the NBA.
 
So why not?

 

[riboflav]

An honest question from a guy who doesn't play basketball and therefore doesn't have a clue on the answer:
 
Why don't all NBA players wrap their ankles more often? On the video I watched of Smart's injury I did not see tape. Taping might not have helped prevent an injury in this case, but obviously it might have reduced the sprain and would probably reduce the number of milder ankle injuries in the NBA.
 
So why not?

 
There's concern that taping weakens ankles.

 

[oumbi]

 
There's concern that taping weakens ankles.

 
Thanks, though this does seem counter intuitive. Would you please expand on this?
 
Here is one article I found that seems to indicate that high top shoes help reduce injury. Honestly, I am not sure exactly what the numbers are referring to, so please don't ask. The article also raises a subsidiary question for me - if taping could help reduce ankle injuries, why don't at least a few NBA teams require such taping?
 
http://www.ballnroll.com/basketball?post=645
 
However, according to study done by the National Athletic Trainer?s Association, and published by the Journal of Athletic Training in 2000, high-top footwear reduces the amount of ankle inversion athletes experience. According to the study, ?High-top shoes reduced the amount of inversion by 4.5?, the maximum rate of inversion by 100.1?/s, and the average rate of inversion by 73.00?/s when compared with low-top shoes. Depending upon the loading conditions, subjects wearing high-top shoes may reduce their risk of ankle sprains?.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

An honest question from a guy who doesn't play basketball and therefore doesn't have a clue on the answer:
 
Why don't all NBA players wrap their ankles more often? On the video I watched of Smart's injury I did not see tape. Taping might not have helped prevent an injury in this case, but obviously it might have reduced the sprain and would probably reduce the number of milder ankle injuries in the NBA.
 
So why not?

If I had to guess most actually do.

 

[Sprowl]

Smart got lucky -- no ankle breaks, no ligament tears. Given how confused he has looked on offense, a few weeks of watching might help slow the game down for him. It's another good reason to have Rondo around until the trading deadline, since Smart is clearly not yet ready to run an offense.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

Smart got lucky -- no ankle breaks, no ligament tears. Given how confused he has looked on offense, a few weeks of watching might help slow the game down for him. It's another good reason to have Rondo around until the trading deadline, since Smart is clearly not yet ready to run an offense.

Yes.  At this stage, the Celtics' point guards are Rondo and Pressey.  Smart isn't there yet and Turner at PG is no threat to the memory of Jordan Crawford.

 

[Brickowski]

An honest question from a guy who doesn't play basketball and therefore doesn't have a clue on the answer:
 
Why don't all NBA players wrap their ankles more often? On the video I watched of Smart's injury I did not see tape.
 
So why not?

Back in the day, players used tape.  My college coach would not let anyone practice or play unless he was taped.  The tape feels wierd at first, but you get used to it.
Nowadays the majority of players use specialized ankle braces instead of tape.  The braces are reusable (unlike tape) hence cheaper. They are also said to provide better protection.
 
I would be shocked if any Celtics player were allowed on the floor without either a brace or tape. And if Smart wasn't wearing a brace last night, he will certainly be using one going forward.

 

[radsoxfan]

Smart got lucky -- no ankle breaks, no ligament tears. Given how confused he has looked on offense, a few weeks of watching might help slow the game down for him. It's another good reason to have Rondo around until the trading deadline, since Smart is clearly not yet ready to run an offense.
 

 
 
So Smart did tear, or partially tear, his ankle ligament(s).  That's what an ankle sprain is.  Watching the replay, and knowing what typically tears first, it was almost surely his anterior talofibular ligament, possibly others in addition to that.  This almost always heals/scars down with rest.  Very infrequently, people have surgery to repair a complete tear that doesn't heal and leads to persistent instability.  The bone bruise might have been at the tip of his fibula since it may have bounced off the floor when he inverted, but regardless of which bone(s) is bruised, that shouldn't be a long term issue.   Definitely a good outcome given the initial concerns, though I'm sure the 2-3 week timetable is just a guess.
 
ATFL
 
Smart's reaction, in hindsight, does seem a bit over the top.  Maybe it was as much fear as anything (has he not had an ankle sprain that bad before?).  Certainly it can be nearly impossible to put weight on it, but you would think he could hobble off the floor with some assistance as Rubio did rather than being carted off. I'm sure many others on this board, including myself, have had virtually that exact same injury many times.  Not to start some big debate… his reaction doesn't really matter…. it's just a bit odd. 
 
As to the taping issue, I have no idea how many NBA guys tape/wear braces.  Personally, I found a tight tape job a bit constricting and uncomfortable, though you do get somewhat used to it.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

So on the same night Smart and Rubio go down with what appears to be the same injury complete with Rubio reaching for his fibula (and not ankle)......yet Smart is said to be out 2-3 weeks and Rubio 7-8?

Something doesn't smell right that Smart will be back so quick.

 

[mikeford]

https://twitter.com/GwashburnGlobe/status/531228077884731392
 
No chance he's back in 2-3 weeks if he's got a high ankle sprain. 
 
Also doubtful he'll ever be 100% again this season. Those HAS injuries tend to linger without tons and tons of rest.

 

[radsoxfan]

So on the same night Smart and Rubio go down with what appears to be the same injury complete with Rubio reaching for his fibula (and not ankle)......yet Smart is said to be out 2-3 weeks and Rubio 7-8?

Something doesn't smell right that Smart will be back so quick.

 
I didn't see where Rubio was reaching…. but your lower part of your fibula is part of your "ankle"

 

[radsoxfan]

https://twitter.com/GwashburnGlobe/status/531228077884731392
 
No chance he's back in 2-3 weeks if he's got a high ankle sprain. 
 
Also doubtful he'll ever be 100% again this season. Those HAS injuries tend to linger without tons and tons of rest.

 
Agree if it's a high grade high ankle sprain, 2-3 weeks seems very optimistic.  At least that part of the injury must be a very low grade tear.  
 
Or maybe he doesn't have high ankle sprain and something was lost in translation.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

 
Agree if it's a high grade high ankle sprain, 2-3 weeks seems very optimistic.  At least that part of the injury must be a very low grade tear.  
 
Or maybe he doesn't have high ankle sprain and something was lost in translation.

Jamal Charles came back quickly after what was called a high ankle sprain.  Maybe that term is thrown around too liberally now.

 

[radsoxfan]

Jamal Charles came back quickly after what was called a high ankle sprain.  Maybe that term is thrown around too liberally now.

 
It's also just a descriptor of location, not severity.  So in theory he may have just had a very low grade injury.  
 
For a similar grade of injury, high ankle sprains are thought to take longer to recover from when compared to lower ankle sprains. But without more info, we're just guessing how bad Charles' or Smart's injuries really are. 

 

[HomeRunBaker]

 
It's also just a descriptor of location, not severity.  So in theory he may have just had a very low grade injury.  
 
For a similar grade of injury, high ankle sprains are thought to take longer to recover from when compared to lower ankle sprains. But without more info, we're just guessing how bad Charles' or Smart's injuries really are. 

We do have some information in that Smart had his lower leg stabilized while making no attempt to get to his feet while Rubio actually hopped off the court with the help of staff. This alone does or at least should give us some kind of tell as to the severity of the injury. At the very least the prognosis to return shouldn't be the inverse of what the tell showed us. That is just bizarre. Of course I'm not believing the 2-3 week timeframe for Smart but still.

 

[radsoxfan]

I'm guessing the lower leg stabilization had more to do with Smart's reaction than any knowledge of the severity of the injury.  They must have thought it was worse than it was, and were pleasantly surprised by the MRI.
 
I  agree based on Smart's reaction 2-3 weeks seems very optimistic, but I'm not sure what incentive the Celtics have to purposely underestimate the timetable. 

 

[mauf]

We do have some information in that Smart had his lower leg stabilized while making no attempt to get to his feet while Rubio actually hopped off the court with the help of staff. This alone does or at least should give us some kind of tell as to the severity of the injury. At the very least the prognosis to return shouldn't be the inverse of what the tell showed us. That is just bizarre. Of course I'm not believing the 2-3 week timeframe for Smart but still.

You realize radsoxfan is a physician, right?

 

[HomeRunBaker]

You realize radsoxfan is a physician, right?

I'm not disagreeing with anything he is saying and I agree his knowledge here is awesome. Only pointing out how strange it was that both players appeared to suffer same injury with similar reaction yet the one who was able to get up has a 300% greater recovery time.

 

[Jed Zeppelin]

Comparing reactions is pointless. Based on the screams, Paul Pierce's leg was once chopped off at the knee before he came back to finish the game.

 

[crystalline]

An honest question from a guy who doesn't play basketball and therefore doesn't have a clue on the answer:
 
Why don't all NBA players wrap their ankles more often? On the video I watched of Smart's injury I did not see tape. Taping might not have helped prevent an injury in this case, but obviously it might have reduced the sprain and would probably reduce the number of milder ankle injuries in the NBA.
 
So why not?

There's also a limit to how much ankles can be stabilized. Tape jobs and ankle braces have to be a little flexible, and you couldn't use a knee-style metal hinge brace. If the ankle is made too rigid any sideways force on the foot just gets transferred to the knee where the possible injuries are worse.

 

[ALiveH]

Smart's reaction could have been based on hearing a pop or having his ankle bend further than it ever had before.  And, it was probably extremely painful.  Anyway, it seemed like a very genuinely scared reaction.  Like Pierce, no one can really question how tough smart is.  I don't think either of them had ever had super-severe injuries in their career (like a blown out ACL or broken leg) so they probably didn't know what to look for.  I remember Pierce said he heard a scary pop in his knee when he went down in the finals.

 

[ishmael]

Like Pierce, no one can really question how tough smart is.  I don't think either of them had ever had super-severe injuries in their career (like a blown out ACL or broken leg) so they probably didn't know what to look for.

Not counting the whole getting stabbed 11 times thing.

 

[nighthob]

Not counting the whole getting stabbed 11 times thing.

The part that people forget (due to the incessant Laker fan whining) is that Pierce tore his meniscus, which I can tell you from experience is a painful fucking injury. He actually had surgery that summer to fix the knee, but still took great pleasure in taunting LA fans in the aftermath.

 

[smastroyin]

As well there is a difference in "oh this fucking hurts" and "are you fucking kidding me I might be out of the fucking Finals after waiting my whole career to get here and playing the Lakers no less?"

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Felger was pretty funny today leading the charge on Smart's injury.

He repeatedly played the Max and Grande clip where Max sadly shared how Smart had to have his leg immobilized (ignoring that Max kept saying "mobilized" which would have been funny to see in itself), his teammates coming together to console him and be wheeled out of the arena while giving the thumbs up sign. Grande responded with "This is tough to watch."

The clip ends and Felger flatly proclaims, "Sprained ankle, out 4 games......and a bruise."

 

[nighthob]

As someone that had to be carried off a field after an incredibly painful high ankle sprain (I placed my foot just right to hit a burgeoning sinkhole), I commiserate with Smart.

 

[Kliq]

Every time Smart nails a three I get a little bit excited. This was a guy that shot under 30% last season at Oklahoma State, but he is up to 33% on the season during his rookie year. I think he has been a delight to watch during his rookie year, and Danny should get credit for drafting him. Considering the uninspiring seasons from guys like Gordon, Stauskas, Exum and Vonleh this season, I couldn't be happier with Smart so far this season. Thoughts?

 

[radsoxfan]

He's shooting 33% from 3, but just 36% overall, and 65% from the line.  50% True shooting percentage. Given the major question marks about his shooting, I suppose he has been a mildly (?) pleasant surprise in this regard.  Still obviously not very good.
 
The D has generally been as advertised, though he has a lot of mental lapses, as rookies often do.
 
The biggest concern is his complete inability to beat anyone off the dribble and lack of lateral quickness.  Major red flag, and a bit of a surprise to me just how much he has struggled in this regard. Definitely limits his upside, unless part of this is injury related.  
 
Agreed the guys taken around him have all been bad or hurt (Embiid, Gordon, Exum, Randle, Sauskas, Vonleh), so I'd give the decision a thumbs up, though a bit less enthusiastically than you. 

 

[The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa]

 
Agreed the guys taken around him have all been bad or hurt (Embiid, Gordon, Exum, Randle, Sauskas, Vonleh), so I'd give the decision a thumbs up, though a bit less enthusiastically than you. 

 
Though early, this is a pretty amazing outcome so far considering this was the draft that so many people (and GMs) were getting all jizzed about.

 

[tbrown_01923]

Billups was  33% from three, 37% overall  - albeit a better ft shooter at 85%  -> 51.6 TS%.  Pretty similar numbers from a guy one year younger than billups was when he entered the league.  Sometimes they take a few years to develop - and sometimes once they are developed they become cogs in a team oriented game as opposed to one on one players on the court.
 
To my untrained eye, Smart's jumper has improved.   In the pre-draft scouting video his jump shot had a real slow load,  and now he looks to be getting into the shot much faster.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

guy at Bball breakdown broke down his shot and some numbers. Smart's shot is definitely improving mechanically - which is pretty amazing given that it is in-season - and he's been able to improve his contested shot-making. Here are some numbers from a couple weeks ago (probably lower today since he had some tough shooting nights coming out of the break) but still very encouraging.
 

 
link (includes embedded link to post on Smart's better mechanics):  http://www.celticsblog.com/2015/2/13/7878037/boston-celtics-rookie-marcus-smart-has-surpassed-expectations-as-a-shooter-synergy-sports-sportvu

 

[CreightonGubanich]

I had been hoping to see a little more Baron Davis in Smart - a cannonball who can get into the lane and has the strength to finish or draw hard contact at the rim. We certainly haven't seen that. It's a bit surprising to me, because he has such great quickness and footwork on the defensive end of the floor. I'd like to see him take the ball to the rim more, but I'm worried that he just might not have the ability to beat guys off the dribble. 
 
On the plus side, his shooting has been a pleasant surprise, and his shot mechanics look fine to me. His jumper definitely isn't broken, and it's reasonable to expect it to continue to improve. If he can become a 35% three point shooter, with his defense, he's a rotation player on a good team. And the defense, my goodness. He can defend either guard position, he has great hands, and he seems to grasp NBA defensive schemes. He fights through picks better than anyone I can remember watching recently.
 
I also think he is actually a point guard, which bodes well for his long term NBA future. He can be a bit careless with the ball at times, but his handle is fine -- he's no Avery Bradley. He can make all the necessary passes, and he's really improved that little pocket pass off the pick-and-roll. His decision making needs to improve, but the skills are there. I'd say actually he looks pretty much as advertised: NBA-ready defense, offense a work in progress. Likely rotation player, possible starter for a good team, but unlikely to be a primary or even secondary offensive option. That won't save the Celtics, but it's a valuable piece.

 

[BostonFan23]

Smart could use some old guy moves, to go with his strength and smarts. Let's give Paul Pierce a call this offseason...

 

[Eddie Jurak]

He's making some progress at playing the point and at driving to set up others (Billups was good at that even as a green rookie). As with many rookies, the real test for him will be what he can do in year two. I think he should be able to fit in a backcourt with Isaiah.

 

[Jed Zeppelin]

His overall fg% is suppressed a bit by the high volume of threes taken (163 3pta to 92 2pta). It's still very early to judge his driving ability. In the early going I saw a rookie who was tentative and deferential, compounded by a pretty bad sprain. He's looked more like a guy who wasn't driving as opposed to a guy who couldn't. His FTs are way up this month so he's clearly working on it, and I expect he'll learn to use his size to his advantage. The percentage there isn't great but he's had so few attempts that a bad night or two like the 4-9 in Sacramento is enough to tank the whole thing.
 
I like that Smart has room for improvement but has also shown enough good things already that I can pretty comfortably say that Ainge didn't completely whiff on what could end up being the highest draft pick through this rebuild (though the Nets will certainly contend for that honor). Drafting a Thomas Robinson or Jan Vesely-level bust in that situation would have been pretty devastating.  Yeah it was a safe pick but a lot of that safety came in projecting his defense at the NBA level--not always a given. I like where he's at.

 

[Blacken]

Nit: I don't think you can call Thomas Robinson a bust, seeing as how he's played pretty well whenever he's had a chance. Dude has been traded due to depth more than anything, it seems.

 

[ALiveH]

I was not super-worried about his 30% 3FG% in college.  Admittedly, only watched a few of his games but I saw him having to carry a very disproportionate load on offense and having to take a lot of contested 3s.  Also, 3P shooting seems to be one of the few skills that NBA players can improve drastically during their careers with enough practice & dedication.
 
He doesn't seem to be even an average NBA player yet, but he doesn't even turn 21 until next month & he's at the position that typically takes the longest to develop.  Has a ton of potential and love his intangibles.  No reason to either get too down or excited about him yet.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Nit: I don't think you can call Thomas Robinson a bust, seeing as how he's played pretty well whenever he's had a chance. Dude has been traded due to depth more than anything, it seems.

4 teams have dumped him in 3 years with two of them being lottery teams. He has a career eFG% below 50% due to being among the worst paint finishers in the game while not having a jump shot.

Depth isn't the problem.....it's his awful performance and little upside that keeps teams giving up on him.

 

[RoDaddy]

Smart's got some Dennis Johnson in him - a big physical defense-first PG with an improving outside shot. I'll be pretty glad if he turns into DJ-lite

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Smart's got some Dennis Johnson in him - a big physical defense-first PG with an improving outside shot. I'll be pretty glad if he turns into DJ-lite

Minus the 8-balls we can only hope.

 

[nighthob]

Minus the 8-balls we can only hope.

DJ's balls got him that Finals MVP.