The Boston Celtics might have gotten the steal of the NBA Draft when they drafted Marcus Smart who fell to No. 6 in the first round. The pick looked skeptical at the time considering the team had Rajon Rondo who would be entering a contract season and was currently the face of the Celtics franchise. However, an injury to Rondo has opened the door for Smart to excel with the Celtics and he is doing just that. Head coach Brad Stevens is confident that Smart will be playing a lot of minutes for Boston in the near future.
Smart has been getting the starting spot at point guard in wake of Rondo's broken hand. The result has been Smart taking full ownership of the position and emerging as a leader for the roster. With Rondo's future up in the air, the Celtics were looking for a player to step up and do exactly what Smart is going, leaving Stevens to predict a big season for the young star.
"I anticipate him playing a lot of minutes for us," Stevens said, via MassLive.com. "You're inevitably drawn to guys that do the right thing over and over and over. It's just the way that you feel as a coach. You feel really comfortable with guys like that. And he does that. He's very consistent in doing that."
One thing is clear, Smart needs to work on his shooting. The point guard's shot has not exactly been the sharpest. He is also struggling with turnovers, committing four against the Knicks during the team's preseason game. However, defensively, Smart is one of the best on the roster. Just ask Kyle Lowry. No matter what, Stevens is pleased and regardless of the health of Rondo, he thinks the rookie will contribute a lot to the team in 2014.
"I think he's really done a great job in most every area. Obviously he's got to make shots more consistently to be the best that he can be. But he can improve on the ball-handling errors that he's had. Those are things you can practice. Those are things we can practice," Stevens said.
Outside of Smart, Jeff Green will start at the 3 or 4 spot. Evan Turner could also be a starter alongside both players. That leaves Jared Sullinger and Brandon Bass to potentially see some time as a starter as well. Stevens is still working out the best rotation as the preseason continues.
"I've given a lot of thought to it," Stevens said. "Jeff's going to play most of his minutes - or maybe just over half of his minutes - at the 3, but he'll also play some 4. I think Evan has to play. Whether that's starting or coming off the bench, or whatever. Evan can get into the paint and that's a huge, critical thing for our team."
