As of this writing, Marcus Smart is entering his ninth season in the NBA, all of which have been with the Boston Celtics. The 2014 6th Overall Pick from Oklahoma State, Smart was a good pickup for the Celtics and earned Second Team All-Rookie honors with 7.8 Points and 1.5 Steals per Game season. Smart would later have two straight seasons where he averaged over 10 Points per Game (2016-17 & 2017-18), and while he dipped below that season, he was sixth in Steals per Game and first in Steal Percentage, which would secure him a First Team All-Defensive Selection. He repeated his First Team All-Defensive honor in 2020, and his glove-like acumen secured Smart as the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year. Smart had another good year in 2022-23, but the Celtics traded him after the year in a three-way deal to get Kristaps Porzingis.
Smart might not be the most efficient player, but he leaves everything he has on the court and was a worthy recipient of the 2019, 2022, and 2023 Hustle Award —the third player ever to win the trophy and the first three-time winner. This is a player whose defense could gain him forever stardom in Boston lore.
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