Boston Celtics

Celtics' Smart makes acrobatic rebound of the year

Published Jan. 8, 2016 9:49 a.m. ET

foxsports

The Boston Celtics are pretty good when second-year guard Marcus Smart is flying around the floor like a maniac, hustling to make plays other guys wouldn't even think about attempting.

A perfect example came during Thursday night's loss to the Chicago Bulls when Kelly Olynyk launched a three, and Smart sensed that Derrick Rose had zero interest in boxing him out.

The rest is magic:

Smart's offensive skill-set is a work in progress (he attempted 11 shots in 30 minutes of action, and only made three), but his energy travels from night to night. It doesn't necessarily make up for his off-key jumper or struggles running a fluid pick-and-roll, but Smart still influences games when he doesn't have the ball.

That unteachable quality is why some aren't too worried about his flaws. After all, Smart is still only 21 years old. He's only getting better.