The last three seasons have been confusing for Marcus Smart, who won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022.
Most expected him to end his career with the Boston Celtics, but the franchise traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team trade to acquire Kristaps Porzingis.
Smart’s Grizzlies stint was riddled with injuries, but the veteran guard made his return in February, only to be shipped off to the Washington Wizards in a three-team trade.
Marcus Smart speaks up after dominant defensive performance
At 30 years old, Smart is still a good player, who shines on the defensive end of the court. The ex-Grizzlies star did just that during the Wizards’ 107-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Smart put up a defensive clinic in the fourth quarter, which led to the Wizards’ victory. The 3x All-Defensive guard reminded his former teams of his skill during the postgame interview.
“I just wanted to continue to show everybody I still do this ____. Excuse my French. I think a couple of people forgot and that was it,” Smart said.
“We’ve got a good young team here, we play our ___ off and I just want to come in and contribute,” the veteran guard said of his expectations from the Wizards.
Smart finished the night with 10 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 1 steal in his second game for the Wizards.
While his numbers do not stand out in the box score, the soon-to-be 31-year-old impacted the game with his defensive energy, which is something that the Wizards have been missing for years. Performing a kip-up after getting a defensive charge is arguably the most Marcus Smart thing to do.
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Smart is the perfect leader for the Wizards
After parting ways with Kyle Kuzma, the Wizards have essentially given the keys to the franchise to Jordan Poole.
Poole is a phenomenal offensive player and can score at will, but the roster was missing a veteran presence who can guide the youngsters in a good direction.
Smart, with all his basketball acumen, will likely bring that cultural shift to the Wizards. After all, he spent the majority of his career with modern-day greats like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the Celtics.
