Smart takes shot at improving game
WALTHAM — The numbers don’t mean so much right now. Even with Marcus Smart hitting three of his five 3-pointers in Friday night’s intrasquad scrimmage at the Garden, that and what he’s done in training camp workouts constitute, as Brad Stevens put it, too small a sample size.
But just watching the thirdyear guard hoist treys in workouts, minus the annoying hitch where he’d bring the ball from high to low before going into the final stages of his motion, reveals a major change. And better results as he takes feeds from Celtics assistant coaches and moves around the arc.
“I spent a lot of time on it,” Smart said yesterday. “That was my main focus, cleaning up at the top, not bring the ball below my waist too much and things like that — just trying to remove the room for error.
“It’s a difference I’ve wanted to make. It’s kind of hard to really kind of change your shot during the season. Summertime is where you get your work in, and these coaches and this coaching staff have really been working really well with me. I’ve worked hard every day just trying to become more consistent with it and getting that motion down.”
There is more at stake here than just improving on his hideous 25.3 percent marksmanship (in 241 attempts) from 3-point range last season. If Smart can get the outside shot to find the strings on a more regular basis, he will have defenders running out at him, which, in turn, will allow him to beat the closeout and drive to the basket, thus utilizing the best part of his offensive game.
“That’s what me and coach Stevens and Danny ( Ainge) have been talking about a lot is becoming more consistent from outside and create a lot more open space for me to drive the lane,” Smart said. “Developing this shot and becoming more consistent is going to make a lot of teams have to play me and play me as a shooter and respect me from the outside.”
He is already an elite NBA defender able to guard multiple positions, and Smart is highly adept at going hard to the hoop and drawing fouls. He’ll still have things that can be improved, but a better perimeter stroke could complete his game.
“I believe so,” Smart said. “I’m strong enough. I’ve got the body to get in there and get in the lane. Now just being able to shoot from the outside more consistently is just (icing on the cake).”
Avery nice gesture
A nice moment from the scrimmage in front of more than 6,000 fans was when Stevens presented Avery Bradley with his first team All-Defense award.
“I think it was cool,” said Bradley. “I appreciate him for doing that. Like Brad said, it’s important to recognize all the guys on our team that are able to accomplish some individual goals, like Isaiah ( Thomas) last year with the All-Star (selection). That’s a bigtime accomplishment.
“I know it’s not possible without my teammates. The way I’m able to play defense night-in, night-out, they’re the ones that help me, they’re the ones that talk to me, they’re the ones that give me that confidence. So it’s really a team award. We know that, we talk about it. You can argue and say Marcus and Jae ( Crowder), as well, they’re great defenders. Even Amir ( Johnson), he’s a very good defender. We’ll all have a chance this year with what’s expected of us and the amount of opportunities we’ll have playing on TV to be able to show that.”
Asked about competing for the overall Defensive Player of the Year award this season, Bradley said, “I hope so. At least I hope I can be in the convo because I think I deserve to be.”
Second thoughts
Smart laughed it off when it was suggested the Celtics reserves need to renegotiate their contracts, but he did note their success in scrimmages vs. a first team consisting of Thomas, Bradley, Crowder, Johnson and Al Horford.
“This team — the second team — we have beaten the starters three in a row,” he said. “But that just shows that those guys are going to make us better. And on top of that, we’re pushing those guys to reach their talent and capabilities and potential and for us to go out there and do the things that we did and beat those guys shows a lot about this team in general.”
High praise
More good words for James Young, this time from Stevens.
“I don’t think he made a jump shot (Friday) night, but his catch-and-shoot accuracy, especially in workouts and practice and drills and everything else, when we charted it here with closed doors, he’s been very good,” the coach said. “Defensively, he’s in the right spots, so he’s grown a ton in that area and he’s stronger.”