Celtics don't need a "pure" point guard

A number of analysts around the NBA believe Marcus Smart is not the right guy to be relied upon as the primary point guard. But aside from his questionable shot selection, he may be near-perfect in that role, particularly with Al Horford back in Boston.

Possibly the greatest NBA team ever assembled, the 1985-86 Champion Celtics, had Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge sharing duties at the point, and nether was considered a "pure" point guard. In the regular season, Larry Bird led his team with 6.8 assists/game from the forward position, followed by DJ with 5.8 APG and Ainge with 5.1 APG. The facilitation dropped off tremendously after that.

Smart was high man in assists for Boston last season with 5.7 APG, followed by Kemba Walker with 4.9 APG - Jayson Tatum with 4.3 APG - Jaylen Brown with 3.4 APG - and Evan Fournier with 3.1 APG. If the Jay Team can boost their assist numbers slightly - and if Fournier sticks in Beantown, Horford's re-addition could result in the five present Celtics combining for 21-23 assists per contest. Bird, Johnson and Ainge combined for 17.7 APG in 1985-86.

Ime Udoka referred to Marcus as a "foundational piece", and that means he will be relied on heavily to contribute to winning. I saw a few bad decisions by Smart late last season, and I blame that on his frustration. I expect that to be gone this time around. Looking at the way injuries to star players this post-season has made the outcome a crap shoot, I see no reason, with some much-needed good luck, The Green can't go deep into the playoffs in 2022.

Comments

The Elm Street Nightmare

A true-and-suspenseful horror tale of haunting, homicides and the hunt for triple-murderer, Daniel Laplante - as told by the cops that were there By Lt. Thomas Lane (Ret.) Daniel Laplante - cold, calm, clever, calculating- Photo: YouTube Elm Street surfaces on six (6) occasions in the Laplante saga: 1.) He resided on Elm Street in Townsend, Massachusetts 2.) He kidnapped a woman at gunpoint on Elm Street, Pepperell , Massachusetts 3.) That kidnapped woman fled to the Gillogly residence on Elm Street after escaping from the armed fugitive, Laplante. 4.) He was arrested and transported to Massachusetts State Police Barracks on Elm Street in Concord . 5.) He was tried, convicted and sentenced for the murders at Superior Court , corner of Elm Stree t and Gorham Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. 6.) The author, Thomas Lane, lived on Elm Steet, Pepperell, Massachusetts while a police Sgt./Lt. for the t...

A sorrowful farewell to Kitty's Restaurant (North Reading, MA) as a family tradition

Time to say "Goodbye" to Kitty's Restaurant - my family's destination and tradition for six generations and more than 80 years. My memories of Kitty's go back to the early-1950's . I would accompany my dad and grandfather on fishing trips to the Ipswich River in North Reading, Massachusetts - followed by a visit to the restaurant on Main Street. In later years, my wife, Linda, and I would eat there with our two kids, Marc and Lisa - and years later - with our two grand daughters - and still later - with our great grandson, Carson. Author and family at Kitty's approx. 10 years ago Kitty's never disappointed. The drinks were big and well-made . The food was terrific - as were the portions. The service was exceptional and we became well-acquainted with the waiters and waitresses. It all worked so very well for many decades. My grand daughter, Courtney , was particularly fond of the restaurant. She was born with cystic fibrosis , and during her fr...

Wemby versus Kareem as rookies

We already know that the Spurs Victor Wembanyama is going to be an NBA phenomenon, but will he surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar by the end of his career. It is highly likely. I did a "per-36-minutes" comparison between the two stars, mainly because Kareem logged 43.1 MPG in his rookie campaign - while Wemby has been held to only 29.4 MPG. Kareem: 24.1 PPG - 12.1 RPG - 3.4 APG - .518 FG - .653 FT Wemby: 25.9 PPG - 12.9 RPG - 4.5 APG - .463 FG - .796 FT No blocks, steals or 3-pointers were looked at since they were not tracked in Jabbar's first year in the NBA. It should also be noted that Kareem was 22 years old at the time, while Victor started at age 20. Two factors favoring Wembanyama ultimately surpassing Jabbar on any "Best-of-All-Time" charts are his point guard skills , shared by so many European players. and the fact he is being mentored by Gregg Popovich. His potential seems astounding. But the question remains. Can he garner six Titles and six MVP ...

Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

Search This Blog