Who does Marcus Smart remind Doc Rivers of? Well, Doc Rivers of course
Coming out of college, Marcus Smart was constantly compared to ex-Celtic, and current Memphis Grizzlies' guard, Tony Allen. But former Celtics' coach Doc Rivers, thinks the 21-year old reminds him of someone else:
Per Mass Live's Jay King:
He reminds me of me. A better version of me. I'm serious. I really mean that. I think a better version, and I'm not kidding.
The compliment from Rivers came before Doc's Clippers team smoked the C's on Sunday night, 119-106. Smart was held scoreless for the game in just 18 minutes of play.
As far as the admiration from Rivers, I, for one, would be extremely pleased if Smart's career followed the path of Doc's.
The Clippers' coach played 13 seasons in the league, for four teams, averaging 10.7 points and 5.7 assists, while making one All-Star game.
Like Smart, Rivers was known more for his defense than his scoring ability. The most common similarity in their games could be their ability to get under opposing players' skin:
As you can see by the very low definition video, Smart's one noticeable advantage over Rivers is his body type.
(Smart is) a defensive guard, but he can score. That's the difference. Really, he's a big guard. He's not a pure point. He never really played point in college. He's got a strong body. He's tough. And he likes defense. He's tough, like, he's a really good defensive player. On the ball, off the ball, yet he's making plays too offensively. I like him a lot.
The praise from Doc comes at a time when the C's rookie is struggling to find consistency. Since his below the belt punch to Matt Bonner, Smart's game has taken a step back:
Since his return from suspension, Marcus Smart is 4-for-20 shooting and averaging 3.6 points. #celtics
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) March 30, 2015Hopefully Smart can take the good vibes sent over from Rivers and use that to his advantage in the final 10 games of the Celts' playoff push.
But this is the question for C's fans. Would you be satisfied if Smart's career parallels that of Rivers?
AP Photo/Winslow Townson
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