Skip to main content

Hopes for a more Dennis Johnson-like season for Marcus Smart

 Both the late Dennis Johnson and Marcus Smart are not generally thought of as elite athletes, but both have shown Celtics glimpses of vertical leaps and quick moves that seemed off the scale. There are other comparisons.


DJ was such an astounding defender, Magic Johnson labeled him as one of his toughest opponents. And no present NBA player wants to be guarded by The Wolverine. But now that the buzz of possible Marcus Smart trades have faded, he may want to watch some footage of Dennis in action.


Red Auerbach was right. You can't turn a poor-to-mediocre shooter into a dead-eye marksman, K. C. Jones and Don Chaney being Exhibits A and B. Exhibit C would be Marcus. His 38% career shooting from the field and 33% on three-pointers needs to rise. 

DJ shot 44% on field goals - but also a putrid 17% on treys - but to his credit, he rarely took the long shot. On point production, Johnson averaged 14.1 PPG, while Smart is at 13.1 PPG. They both show up with three or four boards per game, and their assists per game are also close (5.0 APG for DJ, 4.2 APG for Smart). But DJ upped his assists with the Celtics, instead feeding the BIG-3 of Bird, McHale and Parish.

So the numbers tell the tale. Better marksmanship and shot selection - plus more assists from Marcus will be one of the keys to Celtics success this season. I predict it will happen. 

DJ picked up his second and third Title rings with the Celtics, and Marcus still awaits his first. There are many similarities between the two dogged defenders. Wouldn't it be great to see Marcus Smart equal Dennis Johnson on Championships-won?


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

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 four 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.) He was arrested and transported to Massachusetts State Police Barracks on Elm Street in Concord . 3.) He was  tried, convicted   and sentenced for the murders at  Superior Court , corner of  Elm Stree t and Gorham Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. When evil and cleverness reside in the same mind, the stage is often set for true horror. Such was the case with triple-murderer, Daniel Laplante . As a 16-year old , he quickly transitioned from: Minor thefts and breaking into homes To: Taunting and threatening a father and his two daughters as an unseen

Rules of survival: When search-and-rescue turns into body recovery

 How the Hell did this happen? Two days after 19-year-old Emily Sotelo was supposedly dropped off in Franconia Notch (NH) at roughly 5:00 AM ET, Sunday, November 20, 2022 by her mother, to hike several mountains alone, the search continues for the young lady. Photo by Linda Lane The information from news agencies indicated that Emily started hiking the trails while it was still dark. She was supposedly wearing only sneakers, a coat and workout pants. I can persona;ly attest that the weather in the area was very cold with high wind speeds, and gaining elevation on the trails would only add to the horrendous conditions. Ms. Sotelo was reportedly a seasoned hiker, but had little or no experience hiking in winter. At the peaks, temperatures on that Sunday dropped to zero degrees with a wind chill of minus-30 degrees. It is beyond my comprehension to imagine a hiker-of-experience tackling that kind of travel - in extreme weather - with only basic clothes and few (or no) supplies. I have hik

Nik Stauskas adds "shooting with size" voiced by Brad Stevens

 As a 6'6" shooting guard, 28-year-old Nik Stauskas adds that shooting with size sorely needed by the Boston Celtics. Drafted 8th-overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2014, Stauskas has bounced around to various teams since then. Nik Stauskas' deal with the Boston Celtics includes non-guaranteed salary for the second season in 2022-23, a source tells @celticsblog . — Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) March 4, 2022 Nik has never averaged more than 9.5 points per game in the NBA, but Boston is most likely counting on his production for Grand Rapids in the G League as the incentive to sign him. In 17 games thus far, he has averaged 24.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 4.8 APG - while shooting 50% on field goals and 45% on treys. Nik Stauskas is signing a two-year deal with the Boston Celtics, his agents Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. Stauskas had an historic week, scoring 100 points on 57 and 43 point performances in back-to-back games for Grand Rapids. — Adrian Wo