This offseason, the Celtics sacrificed depth for star power. They lost important guards (Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley) and, perhaps most importantly, important toughness and defense (Bradley, Jae Crowder, Amir Johnson). Smart is the toughest guy on the Celtics, and also their best guard not named Kyrie Irving. He’s going to need to take on a larger role this season, and he feels up to the task:
Marcus Smart says he's lost 20 pounds this summer. Now weighs 219 lbs. "I've been in the gym non-stop. It's a new me. I'm more explosive."
— Taylor C. Snow (@taylorcsnow) September 6, 2017
Smart is big and strong for a guard, and has always used that size to his advantage; he bullies smaller guards on the block, and his strength helps him guard just about anybody, from point guards to power forwards.
Whether or not Smart starts on a regular basis this season remains to be seen (it’ll almost certainly be either him or Jaylen Brown), but either way, he’s going to have a major role.
