Marcus Smart is confident he can play with Isaiah Thomas

When news first broke yesterday that the Celtics had pulled off a trade for guard Isaiah Thomas, many wondered what the move would do to the confidence of rookie Marcus Smart.

But if Smart is concerned about playing with his new teammate he sure isn't showing it, as he told the Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach

[Thomas] is a great player. His determination, his mentality, his will are unbelievable. I think we can play very well together. Somebody that brings energy to the team is always a good person to have.

Smart again proves why the Celts are so confident in their future cornerstone. An immature player could express his displeasure in a deal that has the chance to cut into his minutes, especially at a time when he is playing the best ball of his young NBA career.

In his last fives games, all started by Smart, the 20-year old is averaging 8.8 points, grabbing 5.6 rebounds, and dishing 4.6 assists in that span.

It will be interesting to see how the two  guards coexist on the court. But as Smart expressed, both should bring a high level of energy every night.

Thomas' ability to get to the hoop (164 shot attempts within eight feet of the basket per NBA.com/stats) will open up plenty of space for Smart and the rest of the Celtics on the offensive end.

Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images


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