Many questioned the Milwaukee Bucks' rumored interest in Marcus Smart within the past year or so, but he's currently vindicating it. The veteran guard, who had been in a rough patch after being traded from the Boston Celtics, has finally regained his footing and is proving to be the ultimate shot in the arm for the Los Angeles Lakers amid their strong first-round playoff showing.
Smart is giving the Lakers exactly what they need
The former Defensive Player of the Year has been surgical throughout LA's dominant 3-0 showing vs. the Houston Rockets. In this series, he's averaging 20.3 points, 8.3 assists, an astounding 3.7 steals, and 1.7 blocks. Wow. Not bad at all for a player many thought was washed up after poor, injury-riddled stints with the Grizzlies and Wizards.
Known for his defensive pedigree, Smart has provided exactly that. The 6-foot-3 guard has never let his height burden him—Bucks fans will remember frustrating matchups with Giannis Antetokounmpo over the years—taking on anyone and everyone on the floor. As the numbers reflect, he's been a pest in that regard.
Yet, it's the offense that is truly jumping off the page. During the regular season, he averaged a mere 9.3 points while shooting 39.5 percent from the floor, including 33.1 percent from deep. He's been a new player entirely these playoffs, largely because he's shooting a fierce 50 percent from downtown. With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves injured, Smart's offense has been a needed contribution.
Bucks would have loved to get their hands on Smart
Back in December, NBA insider Jake Fischer (subscription required) reported that Smart had been on the team's radar in recent years. Trading for him would have made plenty of sense, giving the Bucks a defensive-minded guard with boatloads of hard-earned playoff experience. After failing to recover from the loss of Jrue Holiday's defense and leadership, Smart could have helped mightily.
Instead, the Milwaukee Bucks couldn't get a deal across the finish line, for whatever reason. Now, the guard is showing how useful he can be on the big stage, propelling the Lakers to success despite the loss of two of their three best players. While the guard has a player option for the summer, he's likely pricing himself out of Milwaukee's range with this stellar play.
He's one of those players that won't amount to anything outside of a "what-if" for the Bucks.
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