Scoops Bolling said:
A little different. Bergeron was preternatural in his all-around game, but at the time, his offense was a greater strength than his defense. His development into an annual Selke-caliber defender is not something I think anyone would have predicted at the time; I think more people would have predicted him turning into a PPG guy who was also above average in his own end (so I suppose, probably a little closer to what Krejci is for the team). With Smart, the defensive tools leap out a bit more, and there are more questions regarding his weaknesses on offense than there were on Bergeron with defense. That said, as a potential defensive stalwart, Smart becoming the C's version of Bergeron is probably the best possible outcome (which is a bit of a "no shit Sherlock" statement" given Bergeron is an annual contender for the NHL's version of DPoY).
I never really saw Bergeron as being an eventual PPG guy (although he started to convince me he was headed that way in the 2 years before his concussion).
As a rookie, Bergeron did not flash the elite scoring or playmaking skills you normally see from a kid who makes the NHL in his draft year (and he has never really gone on to develop elite skills). As a rookie, he also had some significant physical limitations - he wasn't a fast skater, didn't have much of a shot, and was physically overmatched at times in the clutch&grab, waterskiing pre-lockout NHL. Despite all of that, he could contribute in all phases of the game almost from day 1, because of elite hockey sense, anticipation, compete level, willing and able to hit, etc. After the lockout year he came back noticably faster and with other improvements but he had already established himself as a NHL player before that.
Smart is similar. Rookies in the NBA aren't usually going to get the benefit of the doubt on defense, yet Smart can draw charges and get steals with the best of them (top 15 NBA in steal percentage). Offensively we've only seen flashes (of good vision, shooting, etc.), he's struggled to handle the ball and penetrate, made some bad turnovers, and he's been a completely below the rim kind of player. Yet he's also shown a knack for coming through when it matters. And if anything, the lack of athleticism on offense makes his defensive achievements seem all the more remarkable.
It will be interesting to see what he can do next year after a full offseason to prepare.
he was a non-elite scorer/playmaker with some significant physical limitations (not fast,
atrice Bergeron:Bruins
