Kings to make offer to Marcus Smart?
- Thread starter Nokidding
- Start date
Smart 100% can play the 1-3 and even the 4 in some match-ups. So yeah, he's the back-up PG and playmaker, but he also should see quite a bit of time on the wings.
Fox 33 || Smart 15
Buddy 33 || Bogdan 10 || Smart 5
Bogdan 23 || JJ 15 || Smart 10
Bagley 30 || Skal 18
Giles 26 || WCS 22
9-man rotation for me would be something like this. Temple/Koufos/ZBO/Iman on call for certain match-ups. But there's certainly plenty of room for Smart to get 30 minutes.
Fox 33 || Smart 15
Buddy 33 || Bogdan 10 || Smart 5
Bogdan 23 || JJ 15 || Smart 10
Bagley 30 || Skal 18
Giles 26 || WCS 22
9-man rotation for me would be something like this. Temple/Koufos/ZBO/Iman on call for certain match-ups. But there's certainly plenty of room for Smart to get 30 minutes.
Smart is a player you spend money on if you're a contender and need a defensive specialists ala Tony Allen. Right now, that's not where the Kings are at. Smart is young at 24yearsold, but he's shown very minimal improvements on offense. His ceiling is pretty much close to capped unless a miracle happens with his jumpshot.
As I said again, I'd be more inclined with Smart if Fox and our bigs showed a lot more shooting ability, but they haven't. You also can't believe Fox-Smart could play together for long periods right? That's 2 ball handlers/playmakers with very little shooting ability. It would be a nightmare each time either player is on the court. Smart runs PnR? "Ok we'll just go under all the time and crowd the paint for Bagley and Giles. Fox can't shoot either? great, lets sink that defender in deeper". Same if Fox runs PnR. Floor spacing would become a nightmare for everyone involved.
Yeah defense is an urgent need, but not enough to the point where I'd be willing to only have 1 legitimate shooter on the floor. Maybe we can cheat and only have 1 big on the floor?
Fox-Buddy-Bogdan-Smart-Bagley
Oh well, this is the problem you run into when you have a PG who struggles shooting the ball.
As I said again, I'd be more inclined with Smart if Fox and our bigs showed a lot more shooting ability, but they haven't. You also can't believe Fox-Smart could play together for long periods right? That's 2 ball handlers/playmakers with very little shooting ability. It would be a nightmare each time either player is on the court. Smart runs PnR? "Ok we'll just go under all the time and crowd the paint for Bagley and Giles. Fox can't shoot either? great, lets sink that defender in deeper". Same if Fox runs PnR. Floor spacing would become a nightmare for everyone involved.
Yeah defense is an urgent need, but not enough to the point where I'd be willing to only have 1 legitimate shooter on the floor. Maybe we can cheat and only have 1 big on the floor?
Fox-Buddy-Bogdan-Smart-Bagley
Oh well, this is the problem you run into when you have a PG who struggles shooting the ball.
Find shooting next off-season. Go get a Bojan Bogdanovic, Darren Collison, Trevor Ariza, Trey Lyles type of guy on a short term deal.
You can always supplement your core with cheap shooting. But you actually need to develop the core first. Smart is a core piece to building a playoff team and title contender here.
You can always supplement your core with cheap shooting. But you actually need to develop the core first. Smart is a core piece to building a playoff team and title contender here.
The other thing about Smart is that if other SG's or JJ don't perform they can be packaged in a deal with WCS to get more shooting since he can play two positions really well and pinch hit @SF and even PF, the current team is so far from set in stone other than Fox/Bagley and Giles moving forward everyone else at this point is expendable if you can get a good deal/fit.
Our 2nd unit defensively could be
Smart
Shumpert
Temple
Giles
KK
If Shumpert could come back to being decent I reckon that 2nd unit would bully/outhustle and wipe the floor with our first unit. I also would not be shocked if Dave started Z-Bo @ C to provide some spacing (not advocating it)
Our 2nd unit defensively could be
Smart
Shumpert
Temple
Giles
KK
If Shumpert could come back to being decent I reckon that 2nd unit would bully/outhustle and wipe the floor with our first unit. I also would not be shocked if Dave started Z-Bo @ C to provide some spacing (not advocating it)
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I wouldn't mind Smart at the right price (~$8-10 mil). His impact stats are strong:
RAPM = +1.6 (74th in the league)
RPM = +0.96 (100th in the league)
On/Offf = +5.0
Over the last 2 years, he's shot 37% from the corner three. He just needs to be smarter about the shots he takes.
EDIT: For what it's worth, Smart revamped his shooting form last offseason, and it looked much, much better this past season. However, his shooting %s were not all that different than what we have grown accustomed to seeing. Knowing that he's probably using this offseason to really focus on developing consistency with his new form, I'm curious to see what the result will be.
If we sign him, there's a chance we see a leap in his 3PT% next year. Not sure that's a big chance but a chance nonetheless knowing he has improved his form.
The nice thing is that Smart had a TS% of 55.2% from January through March. For his career, he has been between 46.3%-49.1%. 55.2% is a huge improvement. It could be an anomaly or it could be a sign of things to come.
RAPM = +1.6 (74th in the league)
RPM = +0.96 (100th in the league)
On/Offf = +5.0
Over the last 2 years, he's shot 37% from the corner three. He just needs to be smarter about the shots he takes.
EDIT: For what it's worth, Smart revamped his shooting form last offseason, and it looked much, much better this past season. However, his shooting %s were not all that different than what we have grown accustomed to seeing. Knowing that he's probably using this offseason to really focus on developing consistency with his new form, I'm curious to see what the result will be.
If we sign him, there's a chance we see a leap in his 3PT% next year. Not sure that's a big chance but a chance nonetheless knowing he has improved his form.
The nice thing is that Smart had a TS% of 55.2% from January through March. For his career, he has been between 46.3%-49.1%. 55.2% is a huge improvement. It could be an anomaly or it could be a sign of things to come.
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Was a typo on my end. Meant to put "8-10", but even at that level, I would assume Boston would match. We should never feel desperate when it comes to RFA. If we feel desperate, then it will likely result in us trying to overpay a free agent so the other team won't match. Why would we be okay with adding a negative contract to our team?
welp, when the Kings play historic dinosaur basketball and can't get off 3pt shots, I don't want to hear whining BS by the people that wanted Smart.
There's no market for Smart outside of Boston... has anyone stopped for a second to wonder why? Yes teams are limited on cap space, but he's a RFA. Boston hasn't presented him with an offer yet. They're letting him see what he can get in the open market before they talk money. Seems like he's getting very little interest, so his agent has put out rumors about the Kings.
As I said again, Smart makes no sense for this team. He is Tony Allen at best. He's a defensive specialists for a playoff team. He has "excelled" in a Brad Stevens system that made Isaiah Thomas a legitimate MVP candidate. A Brad Stevens system that would've made Jae Crowder a max player in the 2016 or 2017 FA market.
I seriously can't buy this idea of having 3 non-shooters on the floor at the same time. That's hideoous basketball in 2018. I don't care if you add Collison, Ariza, or whoever else. You're still going to have Fox-Smart-Bagley/Giles/WCS in your lineup. That's 3 non-shooters. It doesn't matter who you fill in between. I still count 3.
There's no market for Smart outside of Boston... has anyone stopped for a second to wonder why? Yes teams are limited on cap space, but he's a RFA. Boston hasn't presented him with an offer yet. They're letting him see what he can get in the open market before they talk money. Seems like he's getting very little interest, so his agent has put out rumors about the Kings.
As I said again, Smart makes no sense for this team. He is Tony Allen at best. He's a defensive specialists for a playoff team. He has "excelled" in a Brad Stevens system that made Isaiah Thomas a legitimate MVP candidate. A Brad Stevens system that would've made Jae Crowder a max player in the 2016 or 2017 FA market.
I seriously can't buy this idea of having 3 non-shooters on the floor at the same time. That's hideoous basketball in 2018. I don't care if you add Collison, Ariza, or whoever else. You're still going to have Fox-Smart-Bagley/Giles/WCS in your lineup. That's 3 non-shooters. It doesn't matter who you fill in between. I still count 3.
The Celtics forum over at real GM doesn't seem to be all that high on Smart from a quick glance. Looks like they're comparing him more to Tony Allen than anyone else. Horrible shot, throws it away at key times. Feels like they're a little frustrated w/ him, and are fine to let him walk if a team like us wants to pay 15+ mil a year.
I can't speak from experience since I haven't watched him play much, but I'm just not sure a defensive specialist with a weak offensive game is really worth the price we'd have to pay to pry him from the C's
I can't speak from experience since I haven't watched him play much, but I'm just not sure a defensive specialist with a weak offensive game is really worth the price we'd have to pay to pry him from the C's
The important thing about having Marcus Smart for the Kings is that I'm not sure that he and Fox can be on the floor at the same time unless Bogdan and Buddy are also on the floor. The defense can certainly collapse on a 1-2 guard punch of Smart and Fox because of their putrid shooting.
When you bring in a player like Marcus Smart you hope that someone like Giles or Skal can spread the floor to offer Fox and Smart driving lanes.
With all of that said, I want Smart. He is a bloodhound and a winner.
When you bring in a player like Marcus Smart you hope that someone like Giles or Skal can spread the floor to offer Fox and Smart driving lanes.
With all of that said, I want Smart. He is a bloodhound and a winner.
Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto
What appears to be Boston Celtics restricted free agent Marcus Smart and his agent having a conversation with Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks at the Thomas and Mack Center on Monday night. pic.twitter.com/04EaquaNxy
Michael Pina @MichaelVPina
The Nets have enough cap space to offer Marcus Smart a contract that'd put the Celtics into the tax and double what he'd otherwise make on his QO. Offer sheet has to be for at least two seasons, though, so question becomes would Brooklyn chew into its 2019 cap space for him?
What appears to be Boston Celtics restricted free agent Marcus Smart and his agent having a conversation with Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks at the Thomas and Mack Center on Monday night. pic.twitter.com/04EaquaNxy
Michael Pina @MichaelVPina
The Nets have enough cap space to offer Marcus Smart a contract that'd put the Celtics into the tax and double what he'd otherwise make on his QO. Offer sheet has to be for at least two seasons, though, so question becomes would Brooklyn chew into its 2019 cap space for him?
I agree to an extent but there is no market for him because he's a restricted FA in an offseason with little money to go around. No team that feels like they are closer to contending is going to wrap up 2019 space because they all think they will be able to entice 3 superstars to their team next summer.
Marcus Smart can play point so I think there are ways to cycle a rotation where the shooting issues don't become so burdensome that it's a hopeless proposition.
The good thing about Smart is it's possible. He can guard 1-4 so you just stick him where you need him. The thing I like most about him as an option defensively is that it might finally give coach no choice but to switch screen and roll. I can't see the Kings ever becoming respectable on defense until they do.
