Marcus Smart is your 2021-2022 Defensive POY
- Thread starter RedOctober3829
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Good for him. I wonder what he will set for himself as his next goal. Let’s hope it’s assist leader and not 3 point champ 
NBA Champion?Good for him. I wonder what he will set for himself as his next goal. Let’s hope it’s assist leader and not 3 point champ
I'm grinning as I just saw this live and the room is a tad dusty. This is the best version of Marcus I have had the pleasure of seeing, on both sides of the ball. He elevated his game about the same time the Celtics transitioned to a new level. I choose to believe this correlation is causation.
Captain of the Boston CelticsGood for him. I wonder what he will set for himself as his next goal. Let’s hope it’s assist leader and not 3 point champ
This is the way. Happy for Smart. I love the way he plays the game and he earned it.
This news made my day. Huge congrats to Marcus. So hard for a guard to win this award, and he deserves it.
I'm impressed by Rob at 7 and Al at 9. The Celtics were pushing their starting 5 for All-Defense, maybe they will at least get Rob on the second team.
Love everything about this. Awesome for TimeLord and Al, too. Horford really is a great mobile big man who can guard all but the quickest point guards.
Awesome to see GP there. It's been an interesting race - I think Bam and Green were probably the best defenders, but they missed too much time to win the award. Gobert and Giannis were excellent as always, but they've both won recently and their teams were mediocre defensively. JJJ and Bridges are young and don't yet have the pedigree or the rep. Smart is the best defender on the best defense, was reasonably healthy, he's got the history of strong defense and the fact that it's been 25 years since the last guard won was a point in his favor.
My man Marcus gets some well deserved love.That's great. Marcus is a somewhat unique player, an acquired taste and a throwback to a grittier more physical NBA. I love his intensity and heart. and what he brings to the game.
About a month ago I thought that Smart and Robert Williams were neck and neck. When Williams was healthy, it was hard for me to choose which of them had a bigger impact on the Cs defense.
I love that Smart won and think it is well deserved. I'm just amazed at how big the gap between him and the Time Lord turned out to be.
I love that Smart won and think it is well deserved. I'm just amazed at how big the gap between him and the Time Lord turned out to be.
Seriously. Durant is virtually unguardable. Horford had some very nice plays against him.
This was amazing, but my second reaction after watching the video was 'someone come and clean up this water, don't want slip and falls!'
The game was stuck on 107-102 for a few possessions, the last of which involved Horford harassing Durant into a contested three. It was a great, unsung defensive possession at a point where it felt the Celtics were very close to crumbling.
Back to the main point - thrilled for Marcus to get this recognition. Much deserved.
That clip is amazing - we don't know if this team is that close but damn it looks like they were genuinely stoked for Smart. GP1 was a great touch too.
Let's hope there are more awards or at least trophies in Marcus's future.
Let's hope there are more awards or at least trophies in Marcus's future.
Second this. And if the Cs ever traded DPOY Smart, they'd spend years trying to find another version of him.
Congrats.
Good thing Brad extended him before he won this. And the video of him getting the announcement and immediately the whole team dumping water on him makes me so happy.
I think it was more the other good players elevating their understanding of the game to where Smart already was than the other way around. And that enabled Smart to be the most effective Smart.
Because we can’t get enough of the immaculate vibes, here’s a longer clip:
View: https://youtu.be/MOmUC-4TLJ0
View: https://youtu.be/MOmUC-4TLJ0
Something about Horford tossing the bottle at the end there gives me extra joy. I love Horford, so so happy he is back.
With Bergy, Gilmore, Betts, and now Smart in town, we've been fortunate to witness absolutely elite defense in all 4 sports. Very lucky. Congratulations to Mr. Smart. He worked hard and earned this.
And I'll echo all the other posters who've felt the same way - that video of Smart getting soaked by the team is just great. Really fun to see a group of players who seem to enjoy being together and happy for each other. That and talent are exactly what you hope to find in your favorite team and this C's team is that rare breed.
And I'll echo all the other posters who've felt the same way - that video of Smart getting soaked by the team is just great. Really fun to see a group of players who seem to enjoy being together and happy for each other. That and talent are exactly what you hope to find in your favorite team and this C's team is that rare breed.
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Marcus is playing eight dimensional 3D chess in a quantum superstate while others are playing checkers.
By listed height Smart at 6'3" is the shortest player ever to win DPOY, since the inception of the award in 1982-83.
Other guards who won - Gary Payton, Alvin Robertson, Sidney Moncrief - are all listed at 6'4".
Of course, listed height is not always actual height.
Other guards who won - Gary Payton, Alvin Robertson, Sidney Moncrief - are all listed at 6'4".
Of course, listed height is not always actual height.
I think I heard more than one person in the background saying "watch the floor" or something like that.
In a way, Marcus reminds me of Bill Walton's one good Boston year. Not in terms of durability, of course. But in the way that *all* his skills got unlocked.
What I love about this Celtics team is that you've got the DPOY (Smart), another guy who was a legit DPOY candidate (RWill), one guy who is exceptionally good at defense, even if he isn't in the DPOY conversation (Tatum), and two other guys who are also really good defenders (Horford, Brown).
In other words, at full strength, this team has no defensive holes when they want to put their A lineup out there. It's difficult for other teams to hunt matchups.
In other words, at full strength, this team has no defensive holes when they want to put their A lineup out there. It's difficult for other teams to hunt matchups.
And a 7th guy who is one of the most versatile defenders in the NBA: https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/stats-notebook-grant-williams-boston-celtics