Marcus Smart

Strengths

Right-handed… An athletic wing that can play multiple positions thanks to some solid athleticism, great strength and the skill set that allows him to play anywhere from the point to an undersized power forward. Given his 6'3" size, he doesn't appear to be much of a post player and rightfully so, but Smart is actually quite good around the rim, enabling him to post up smaller guards and wings where his uses not just his strength, but excellent footwork to navigate his way into scoring opportunities. It's not just a turn-and-face baby jumper, he has drops steps, spin moves and reverse pivots in his arsenal. He isn't one to finish above the rim off of two-feet, but is strong enough to finish with contact. And at the same time, he rotates quickly to the perimeter to spot-up and knock down the 3-ball with range…Given his ability to carve out space on the defensive end, Smart is a very good rebounder for his position and defenses must be wary of his ability to turn immediately up the floor and start the transition break going the other way… He is a high-motor player on the glass, tipping the ball to himself on the offensive end or muscling his way to defensive boards… Lacking the explosive first step to drive by his man, Smart is good with his ball-fakes and shot-fakes to create an opening to drive the ball or create space to get his shot off. He is very accurate when left open and quite good pulling up off the bounce as well. He faces up right away and shows a decent trigger and release.

Weaknesses

Smart doesn't have ideal size for an NBA 2-guard at 6'4", but an excellent frame at 220 pounds to match-up with shooting guards and he doesn't have the creative handle, the court vision or the comfortability to play the point full time. When Smart runs the point, he has a tendency to put his head down and charge into the lane, missing opportunities to hit the open wing or big or hitting them too late when they are no longer open. He shows some good court awareness and craftiness with the ball in his hands, but moreso in the open floor than with a man on his to create space. He is very much a high-risk, high-reward player with his passes, often settling for poor decisions as he lobs the ball across the court or gets in the air before making a decision… Smart doesn't have that explosive first step to drive by the defender so he relies on his strength to body up his man. He is mostly a one-dribble pull-up shooter and won't utilize ball moves effectively to keep his defender off-balance… Defensively, Smart doesn't have the lateral quickness or length to stay in front of quicker guards or athletic wings.