
The Boston Celtics inserted Marcus Smart into the starting lineup for Monday night's game against the New Orleans Pelicans, and the result was one of the C's best wins of the season.
Celtics legend Paul Pierce explained on Tuesday's episode of "The Jump" on ESPN why Smart is a good fit with the starting lineup.
“The good thing about having Smart out there is it gives them a player out there with a defined role,” Pierce said. "So, he’s a defender, he can knock down shots. He’s a ball handler. You have these other guys — Jaylen Brown, (Jayson) Tatum, Gordon (Hayward) — they’re all kind of like stars, they’re go-to guys. So, you bring in a guy, it’s just like saying sometimes, ‘Less is more.’ He’s not as talented as Gordon or Tatum, but he has a defined role and he plays winning basketball.”
Smart brings the defensive energy and toughness the Celtics have lacked for most of the season. Guys feed off of his hustle plays, too. Smart also takes the defensive pressure off Kyrie Irving by defending the opposing team's best perimeter player, as well as being able to bring up the ball and facilitate the offense.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens has some tough decisions to make when Jaylen Brown, who usually starts in the backcourt, returns from a tailbone injury. Gordon Hayward also didn't start Monday, but he could/should go back into the starting five when he finally gets up to speed after losing last season to injury.
For now, Smart is a great fit in the starting lineup because the Celtics need consistency and toughness on the defensive end of the floor to overturn their early-season struggles, and no one brings more of that to the table than Smart.
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