Celtics Marcus Smart's value - Defensive Statistics vs. Warriors - Part 2

For the Celtics 92-88 win over the Golden State Warriors on November 16, 2017, I will get Marcus Smart's awful offensive stats out of the way early. He scored one point on 0/7 field goals, 0/3 on three-pointers and 1/2 from the foul line. Whew! Had to get that out of the way.

Beyond winning the game, there was a lot of good news. Marcus had seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. His +15 plus/minus was second on the team to Al Horford's +16. And the game brought Boston's win streak to 14 games.

The new NBA Defensive Box Scores now allow us to scrutinize player contributions beyond traditional stats like points, rebounds and assists. Here are the important defensive numbers for Smart in this one game:

1.) Allowed players he was matched up against to only score seven points

2.) He played 63% of the game during which the Warriors only scored 53% of their points

3.) His match-ups only scored 2/8 on field goals and 1/6 on threes for the game while guarded by Smart

4.) Stephen Curry scored a total of nine points on 3/14 from the field and 2/9 on three-pointers for the entire game

5.) Klay Thompson notched 13 points on 5/18 field goals and 3/11 on threes for the entire game

Admittedly, one game is a mighty small sample, but fans know that Marcus always hustles and plays smothering defense. The Celtics seem to match up well with Golden State, particularly with Marcus covering their two back court stars. He just needs to get his temper and shot selection under control. Welcome back Marcus.

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Photo via Harry Howe/Getty Images/AFP