Goofball or baller, should the OKC Thunder take a chance on Marcus Smart? The metrics advise steering clear of the guard during NBA Free Agency.
Marcus Smart is one of the most intriguing players in the NBA Free Agency market this summer. Foremost, teams will analyze whether Smart is legit, or merely a product of masterful Celtics head coach Brad Stevens system.
Furthermore, Smart is a very poor three-point shooter. In today’s climate, it’s unlikely a team rewards poor three-point shooting. Unless a player is elite in one facet of the game, there is no better example of such than Andre Roberson.
Statline
| Season | Age | Pos | G | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P% | eFG% | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 21 | PG | 61 | 27.3 | 3.0 | 8.7 | .348 | 1.0 | 4.0 | .253 | .427 | .405 | 2.7 | .777 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 9.1 |
| 2016-17 | 22 | SG | 79 | 30.4 | 3.4 | 9.5 | .359 | 1.2 | 4.2 | .283 | .420 | .422 | 3.2 | .812 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 10.6 |
| 2017-18 | 23 | SG | 54 | 29.9 | 3.5 | 9.5 | .367 | 1.4 | 4.6 | .301 | .429 | .440 | 2.5 | .729 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 10.2 |
| Career | 261 | 28.7 | 3.1 | 8.7 | .360 | 1.2 | 4.2 | .293 | .422 | .431 | 2.6 | .756 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 9.4 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/30/2018.
More on Smart’s struggles from behind the arc. Smart was the worst three-point shooter on the Celtics this past season 30.1 percent. Yet, he attempted the fourth most threes on the C’s, Smart’s volume in threes launched is one of Stevens most baffling decisions.
Moreover, Smart’s three-point percentage was so bad it would have ranked fourth worst on the OKC Thunder this past season. Behind only Roberson, Russell Westbrook, Jerami Grant, and Josh Huestis.
The Oklahoma City Thunder already has enough players on the roster who struggle from three-point territory. The team should focus on finding more decent to above average shooters, rather than the opposite.
Player Specifics
- Height: 6′4″
- Position: PG/SG
- Age: 24-115 days
- Years of experience in NBA: 4
- Type of Free Agent: Unrestricted
- Hometown: Flower Mound, Texas
- Salary the previous season: $4.5 million
With that, let’s get dive into Smart’s pros, cons, and watch a little film.