Boston Celtics: Takeaways from Loss to Mavericks
By Andrew Fine
Where Are You, Marcus?
Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Call it the curse of Russell Westbrook, but Marcus Smart has failed to produce the kind of offense he showcased against the Thunder.
On Wednesday, he shot an ugly 1/7 from the field and played only 26 minutes thanks to Bradley’s big night. Smart’s shooting struggles were only “non-existent” in the second half because he took one shot.
Smart’s first two shots of the game were jump shots, the second of which he made. He next three shot attempts were tip-in after coming away with multiple offensive rebounds. Unfortunately he could not capitalize on his hard work on the boards.
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Part of his problem could be with how he is starting the game. He was so effective against the Thunder because of how he established a rhythm by aggressively taking the ball to the rim and eagerly looking to get to the free throw line. This sense of urgency did not exist in Wednesday’s game.
He failed to establish a tempo and disappeared, letting his teammates with the hot hands take over. Marcus will learn to take games like these in strides because after all he is only in his second year and there are still plenty of growing pains.