Marcus Smart has upped his game in the NBA

[Sooner04]

C'mon, mods. Pull the trigger. Send this to the proper forum!

 

[152219]

Barring an injury Smart will likely spend around 10 years in the league because he is an excellent defender. But, his shooting is absolutely terrible.

And that flop was beyond laughable and went to the land of being ridiculous.

 

[scrybe]

All I can say is, the man's a legend in his own mind.




I bet some of you thought I was referring to Marcus Smart.

 

[MsProudSooner]

He wouldn't even be on the radar of most people on this board if it weren't for his flops. No one cares how good he is or isn't or how long he is in the NBA. He makes a fools of himself with the flops and that's what people notice. One would think that since he plays in a league where he gets fined for flopping, he would tone it down, but he's only gotten worse.

 

[KBaden145]

He wouldn't even be on the radar of most people on this board if it weren't for his flops. No one cares how good he is or isn't or how long he is in the NBA. He makes a fools of himself with the flops and that's what people notice. One would think that since he plays in a league where he gets fined for flopping, he would tone it down, but he's only gotten worse.

This. The flops and all the in state and basketball media love have forever soured me on him. Aside from some of his embarrassing antics, he was a nice college player and will probably have a decent NBA career as a 2nd unit guard.
The undeserved goodwill he receives on this board from some is also pretty annoying.

 

[KBaden145]

Marcus Smart wasn't a Top 4 pick; he went #6. But it's a ridiculous argument anyhow.



2014

Andrew Wiggins

Jabari Parker

Joel Embiid

Aaron Gordon



2013

Anthony Bennett

Victor Oladipo

Otto Porter

Cody Zeller



2012

Anthony Davis

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Bradley Beal

Dion Waiters



2011

Kyrie Irving

Derrick Williams

Enes Kanter

Tristan Thompson



2010

John Wall

Evan Turner

Derrick Favors

Wesley Johnson



Twenty players, only three of whom have been selected for an All-Star game. Wiggins is on his way, and it wouldn't be a stretch for Beal to reach that level. Parker and Gordon have shown flashes, but they--like Smart--haven't yet proven to be anything more than "role players" after just two seasons.



At this point in their careers, Smart has as much or more trade value as half the players on that list. Of the half with more value, half of those are simply better role players.



Stars aren't the norm, even if you narrow the field down to Top 4 picks. Comparing Smart to other #6 picks, he stacks up well. Of the last ten #6 picks, Brandon Roy and Damian Lillard are the only All-Stars, and Gallinari is the only other #6 pick with a better career than Smart (unless you want to argue for Noel, too).



We can marvel at the ridiculousness of Smart's flops without making absurd claims about the nature of the NBA draft or Smart being a wasted pick.

Congrats! He was 6th not 4th. You cared enough to look it up. I didn't. A fundamentally poor shooting, above average defensive, and embarrassingly exceptional flopping role player is what you're looking for when you draft in the lottery, apparently.

 

[campbest]

His flops are so obvious and frequent, that I think it speaks to a lack of coaching integrity from Travis Ford and now Brad Stevens... I would bench his ass for an entire game every time he does that, and make it perfectly clear that this sort of cheating, and that is exactly what it is, is not welcome or acceptable.
.

Most puzzling comment in this thread.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

Most puzzling comment in this thread.

coaching ability and coaching integrity can be exclusive from one another.

I have no idea what kind of integrity Brad Stevens has

 

[KBaden145]

All I can say is, the man's a legend in his own mind.









I bet some of you thought I was referring to Marcus Smart.

Funny...

 

[KBaden145]

coaching ability and coaching integrity can be exclusive from one another.



I have no idea what kind of integrity Brad Stevens has

True. You play him, shrug your shoulders, and say 'that's just him'.

I said you play him...unless you have players better than him, which apparently Boston does most nights. Admittedly, he was fantastic last night when they needed him. I bet that is what a lot of Boston fans wish they got from him every night. Never going to happen, I imagine...

 

[thebigabd]

Most puzzling comment in this thread.

How is this puzzling....

Flopping like this is a disgrace to the game, and by definition, is cheating. You can be fined thousands of dollars for it.

You think Marcus Smart would flop like that if Travis Ford or Brad Stevens took a stand on it? Imposed his own team fines, or suspended them from games for doing it? Hell no he wouldn't.... He does it all the time because the coaches allow him to do it, which speaks to Stevens and Ford in this case.

These guys watch video all the time, they know he is cheating, they know he is a disgrace to the game.... yet, they allow it. They are probably encouraging it.

 

[KBaden145]

How is this puzzling....



Flopping like this is a disgrace to the game, and by definition, is cheating. You can be fined thousands of dollars for it.



You think Marcus Smart would flop like that if Travis Ford or Brad Stevens took a stand on it? Imposed his own team fines, or suspended them from games for doing it? Hell no he wouldn't.... He does it all the time because the coaches allow him to do it, which speaks to Stevens and Ford in this case.



These guys watch video all the time, they know he is cheating, they know he is a disgrace to the game.... yet, they allow it. They are probably encouraging it.

Its a rarely called in game technical. He has to pay a small fine afterward, if it's caught at all. Why would the coaches really care? Especially if he gets a call now and then? Doesn't reflect on the coaches ability or character. It's a direct reflection on his own lack of scruples.

 

[hoopsaustin]

See you're changing your tune. I knew somebody ran their mouth when Smart was drafted. Should have known it was you.

http://ouhoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=446824&postcount=12

You're right. I was being too cocky. Give me 5-6

 

[BCSooners]

Love the Celtics, don't like Smart. That being said I would love a guy like that on my team. + defender, +passer, +competitor, -shooter, guess which is easiest to improve.

I hate his flopping but every player does it, just most aren't as theatrical as Smart.

 

[chuckb]

coaching ability and coaching integrity can be exclusive from one another.

I have no idea what kind of integrity Brad Stevens has

From everything I've heard, and I've heard quite a bit, it's top notch. He is supposedly a terrific person.

I don't know and couldn't care less about the flopping. Does it speak to Stevens's integrity that Smart flops? I don't see how. I would guess it does more damage to Smart's reputation than the harm it causes to the team.

 

[WaymanFan]

That was the best flop I've ever seen! No close second. As for Smart's NBA career to date, "average" sums it up for me.

I think some of u are being a bit unfair with your criticism of WTSooner defending Smart. The guy is a Celtics fan. He has to root for him or he's not a real fan. I'm a Dallas Cowboys fan so I root for Dez Bryant. That's how it has to be if one roots for professional sports teams. I still cheer hard for my favorite pro Sooners, but not when they're playing against my favorite team.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

I think that coaches like Kruger would be telling smart not to do what he is doing. I would assume coaches are OK with exaggerating contact. But what smart does is well beyond exaggeration. He does it even when there is zero contact. It is deceptive and a lie which is why i don't like it and i don't like coaches that put up with it. It cheapens the game

 

[thebigabd]

Definition of cheating: act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination.

If you believe that what Marcus Smart does falls under this category, which I do, then why wouldn't I hold his coaches accountable for encouraging the behavior or action? If they didn't want him to do it, he wouldn't do it.

You think Bob Knight, Kelvin Sampson, Lon Kruger, Eddie Sutton, and other "old school" coaches who teach real basketball would be encouraging or allowing their players to flop themselves all over the floor trying to draw BS fouls?

 

[WTSooner]

lol

 

[Smash Williams]

How is this puzzling....

Flopping like this is a disgrace to the game, and by definition, is cheating. You can be fined thousands of dollars for it.

You think Marcus Smart would flop like that if Travis Ford or Brad Stevens took a stand on it? Imposed his own team fines, or suspended them from games for doing it? Hell no he wouldn't.... He does it all the time because the coaches allow him to do it, which speaks to Stevens and Ford in this case.

These guys watch video all the time, they know he is cheating, they know he is a disgrace to the game.... yet, they allow it. They are probably encouraging it.

Definition of cheating: act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination.

If you believe that what Marcus Smart does falls under this category, which I do, then why wouldn't I hold his coaches accountable for encouraging the behavior or action? If they didn't want him to do it, he wouldn't do it.

You think Bob Knight, Kelvin Sampson, Lon Kruger, Eddie Sutton, and other "old school" coaches who teach real basketball would be encouraging or allowing their players to flop themselves all over the floor trying to draw BS fouls?

There are a number of rule violations that players commit within the course of a game in an attempt to gain an advantage. If the certainty and severity of the penalty are such that the expected benefit of committing the violation outweigh the expected penalty, then players are going to be compelled to break a rule.

As far as "cheating" goes, how is flopping different from setting an illegal screen? There are players that push the boundaries on illegal screens. If they were whistled for a foul every time, they would stop setting those screens; however, players get away with those illegal screens often enough that the reward outweighs the risk.

Should Steve Kerr have suspended Draymond Green for this?

If the penalties and enforcement of a rule are so weak that they incentivize players to break the rules, that's the league's fault. If a player who's making $3.5 million a year knows he can get away with a flop during a playoff game, he's not going to be dissuaded by the uncertain (and usually unlikely) possibility of a $5k fine after the fact. And the player's team isn't getting penalized either, so why would his coach discourage it?