BOSTON - Last year, it was pretty easy who the captain would be for the Celtics, for better or worse. But Rajon Rondo is now gone and the Celtics are largely made up of young players.
That includes second-year guard Marcus Smart.
But while some may want Smart to take on a leadership role already in his career, he's quick to say that the Celtics are made up of a lot of leaders.
Instead, he's focusing more on improving his game and earning minutes because he knows there are plenty of capable guards on the team this year.
Nothing is given, even though Smart was taken with the 6th pick in last year's NBA draft.
"I actually come into this camp with the mindset of I have to earn my minutes gain," Smart told CSNNE's Mike Gorman. "That position is up for grabs because we have so many players that can take that role on and either one of us will be very fortunate to be in that situation and it'll work out for us so I'm just coming in thinking I gotta compete, it's the first day of practice, it's the first day of high school when you're a freshman and the upper clansmen are in there and you have to go out and show what you can do to prove yourself."
Check out the video for more on Smart, including what he's learned after a year in the NBA and how to manage the ups and downs of the NBA season.