Marcus Smart should win Defensive Player of the Year. Yes, I know the Celtics only played 14 games, and there is a lot to go, but the man needs to get his due. When a 6′ 3″, 220 lbs guy is your top choice for defending Giannis, Porzingis, and wherever else on the court, that’s defensive player of the year stuff. We recently found out it almost never happened
In ’17/’18, the Celtics suffered a one-point loss against the Lakers in LA. Furious by the outcome, Smart slammed his hand in a picture frame. Funny thing, glass breaks and cuts deep. Smart missed 11 games while his shooting hand healed. On the latest Lowe Post podcast, Smart revealed it was much worse than it appeared:
“To be honest, what the doctor told me as they’re taking out this glass — I actually still have the glass somewhere saved, to remind me each and every day how blessed I am to still be playing. The doctor actually told me, like you said, an eighth of an inch away I probably might not be playing basketball again for the rest of my life. They said it would’ve torn everything in my hand.”
Smart not only has a few pieces of glass saved as a reminder not to do something like that again. He still has glass in his hand. Certain parts were in places that would make taking them out too risky, so the doctors decided to leave them in.
Smart was always a menace on defense, and his defensive performance has been at an all
He shared one more interesting detail on the pod. More than once have players that he would guard tell him to take it easy, especially if they were on a back-to-back. Literally tell him they don’t plan to try too hard and suggest a truce. So naive, thinking that this man understands such a concept.