Marcus Smart could have seethed. And maybe he did? A year after collecting 257 points in winning his first Defensive Player of the Year award, Smart’s name disappeared from the ballot. No first-place votes. No seconds. No votes at all. Jaren Jackson Jr. won it. “Congrats to him,” says Smart. “He’s been showing it all year.” Jimmy Butler got a vote. Alex Caruso got two. “I’m really just surprised D-White [Derrick White] didn’t get a vote,” says Smart. “But it is what it is.”
In a quiet moment in front of his locker Tuesday, Smart was diplomatic. He wasn’t a finalist for DPOY. Didn’t expect to be. He played 61 games, 10 fewer than last season. He had injuries. Personal issues. His defensive rating this season (111.7) was more than four points higher than last (107.1). In March, Smart called his defense “mediocre.”
“It’s tough to play all 82 games that way,” says Smart. “Along with injuries, that’s why the mediocrity comes in. But you know, you get to playoffs, it’s a whole different ballgame.”
Indeed. If the first two games of Boston’s first-round series against Atlanta have revealed anything, it’s that on defense, Smart remains elite. In Game 1, Smart was everywhere. He blew up an alley-oop. He blocked a De’Andre Hunter shot in transition. “You saw a different Marcus in that game,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. In Game 2, Smart was part of the defensive effort that limited Atlanta to 42.6% shooting.
“I guess sometimes you take [Smart’s defense] for granted,” said Jayson Tatum. “But [he’s] one of the best if not the best defender that we have in this league. Just extremely special, especially on that side of the ball.”
Atlanta owned one of the NBA’s best offenses during the regular season. The Hawks finished seventh in offensive rating. Over the last 15 games, they averaged 124.1 points per game. In two games against the Celtics, they have failed to crack 106.
Atlanta’s offensive muscle is in its backcourt. Trae Young. Dejounte Murray. Bogdan Bogdanović. Boston is loaded with plus defenders, especially in its backcourt. Smart. White. Malcolm Brogdon. It’s strength vs. strength. So far, the Celtics are winning.
“We have a lot of guards that can guard multiple positions,” says Smart. “To be able to have that versatility to match those guys is what’s helping us right now.”
In practice, offensive players can push each other to be better. Defensive players, says Smart, are the same way.
“You’re constantly competing,” says Smart. “Who’s going to get the stop first? Who’s going to do this? Guys are guarding each other constantly, making fun of each other and trying to ruin your game. There are bragging rights. So you definitely as a defender can help each other out. Being able to play against different sizes, different speeds, different tendencies definitely helps us.”
If Boston advances—the Celtics lead the Hawks 2–0 headed into Friday’s Game 3 in Atlanta—that versatility will continue to be needed. The path back to the Finals is loaded with elite guards. Philadelphia, a likely second-round opponent, has James Harden and Tyrese Maxey. Milwaukee, the conference’s top seed, has Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton. Boston’s defense, particularly its backcourt, will be tested.
“I don’t see any three [backcourt defenders] better than us,” says Smart. “Especially when Derrick is playing the way he’s playing. And Malcolm’s playing the way he’s playing. And then obviously me getting back to me. I don’t see any three guards that are doing exactly what we’re doing at a very high level every game. So that speaks volumes about us and the pride we are taking on that end.”
Mazzulla wasn’t surprised Smart’s defense wasn’t recognized during the regular season. “I try to tell him he doesn’t need an award to get that value that we talk [about],” said Mazzulla. “Because we know what he does for us.” In fact, Mazzulla likes the idea of Smart playing with something to prove. “I’m a big spite guy,” said Mazzulla. “So, yeah.”
Smart agrees. The “mediocre” defense he was playing in March? “It’s very different,” says Smart. If some forgot how difference-making Boston’s backcourt defense is, the playoffs are a chance to remind them of how good they can be.
“I mean, as you can see, we’re turning it up,” says Smart. “Regular season for me, defense wasn’t too crazy. But you can see that’s all changing in the playoffs. We’re definitely using that to motivate us as much as we can. We believe we have one of the best defensive teams, the best defensive guys, and that’s what it is. So now we just got to go out there and continue to prove it.”
