Joe Mazzulla solely spent one season as Marcus Smart’s head coach, however after a further three years as an assistant in Boston, he absolutely understood the affect the longtime Celtics guard leaves behind.
That one season as the top coach allowed him to get an excellent nearer take a look at Smart, a greater alternative to develop a relationship with him.
The two actually had a singular relationship. Smart was publicly vital of Mazzulla in his first season. During the playoffs, he stated the criticism the rookie head coach was receiving had been accomplished “rightfully so.” But there was by no means any disrespect between the 2. Mazzulla welcomed and fostered a collaborative setting as a result of he knew he didn’t have all of the solutions. Smart had no drawback serving to. There was a transparent mutual respect.
So when Mazzulla bought on the telephone to talk with Smart after the purpose guard was shockingly traded to the Grizzlies final week, it was expectedly arduous. Especially when it got here to Smart, it was extra than simply basketball.
“I think it’s tough, right?” Mazzulla stated. “I simply advised him I liked him and that I recognize who he’s as an individual. …
“You’re never going to replace a guy like him and everything he’s done on the court, what he’s done for his teammates, and what he’s done in the community, for the city of Boston, you’re just not going to replace that, so it’s not worth even thinking about that. At the end of the day, it’s kind of how the business goes and I appreciate how he handled it and we had a great conversation and I know he’s going to do great things in Memphis.”
While the Celtics imagine buying and selling Smart away and bringing in Kristaps Porzingis makes them a extra balanced crew and a obligatory transfer in pursuit of a championship, there’s no query that the intangibles that Smart introduced and at the moment are misplaced are a lingering query for a Celtics crew that at instances struggled due to an absence of psychological and bodily toughness, particularly within the playoffs.
Porzingis has not performed within the postseason past the primary spherical, and admitted Thursday at his introductory press convention that he’s unsure how he’ll carry out when the stakes get larger within the spring. Smart is a confirmed playoff performer who gained video games with toughness, protection and hustle performs. His management within the locker room was unquestioned. Maybe the Celtics wanted a change of voices after constantly developing simply quick of their title pursuits. But as Mazzulla stated, they will’t change Smart, they usually gained’t attempt to.
“He was a very important piece of the locker room, to the city, and I think a strength of his was the ability to have an impact on and off the floor,” Mazzulla stated. “So that will be missed. At the same time, we are bringing in Kristaps who from a personality standpoint, brings a lot of the same characteristics to where he works hard on the court but he’s also a guy that carries himself very well off the floor, and so I think that’s important.”
To Porzingis’ credit score, he absolutely understands what Smart meant to Boston and the Celtics. And he needs to assist attempt to fill that void.
“I think I’m going to have to prove it,” Porzingis stated in an interview with NBC Sports Boston. “First on the court and then off the court. Of course, you cannot replace Marcus Smart. He was a special player and special for this organization and this community. But as I said, I look forward to also bringing high effort and high energy and hopefully give a fire to this team and gain the fans’ respect and support. As I said, you cannot replace him but I look forward to coming in here as myself and gaining the fans’ trust.”
While the Celtics might not absolutely change Smart, it actually wouldn’t be out of the query for them to discover a participant in free company who might convey a few of his traits. On Friday, it was reported by Yahoo Sports that the Celtics are occupied with veteran guard Patrick Beverley. The soon-to-be 35-year-old is a three-time All-Defensive choice and would definitely convey a stage of physicality and power off the bench that mirrors that of Smart. But it’s additionally unsure how his emotional character would slot in the Celtics locker room.
It appears extra seemingly the Celtics will stick to their remaining guard trio of Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon and Payton Pritchard, and add a less expensive depth choice or two. White, whereas he might not have the identical management qualities as Smart, can actually assist make up for what the departed guard gave on the ground, particularly on the defensive finish, the place he was an All-Defensive second crew choice final season.
There’s no simple technique to change Smart. Simply, they will’t, no less than not by anyone particular person. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown must step up much more. From prime to backside, will probably be a collective effort for everybody to boost their stage and match the items collectively as they flip the web page into an period with out their franchise spine of the final decade.
“The most important thing in our locker room is that whoever is on our team, we have a group of guys that share the same values in wanting to win and wanting to do it together,” Mazzulla stated. “And that’s what now we have to construct upon. Like I stated, it’s vital for us – for me actually, once I’m studying about our gamers – that they’re simply nearly as good basketball gamers and folks. …
“Any time you lose something, it’s an opportunity for others to grow in those areas, and so I think it’s just a good opportunity for our roster now to just develop that identity, to grow in… communication, but like I said, some of the things (Smart is) able to do, you’re not going to replace it. It’s just a matter of the guys who are on our team, how can we maximize them and get the best out of them.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com