Neither the Warriors nor the Boston Celtics lack for starpower in a heavyweight NBA Finals matchup that will feature the likes of Steph Curry and Jayson Tatum.
But both teams also have players who excel at the intangibles and make a huge difference beyond the stat sheet. They need no introduction, but Draymond Green and Marcus Smart figure to play key roles for their respective teams in the series.
On Wednesday, the day before Game 1, both Green and Smart complimented each other. When asked about Smart, Green said to reporters that he admired the way the Celtics guard thinks about basketball.
“You can see it the way he plays, the way he’s teaching guys, the way he’s commanding attention in huddles and going through the X’s and O’s in the huddles,” Green said. “You see it all.”
Green might as well as have been talking about himself. He added that people tend to forget that Smart’s No. 1 attribute coming out of college was his leadership and his ability to be a true point guard.
Smart has also been embroiled in some controversial moments and plays throughout his career – including one this season that injured Curry. Green chalked up Smart’s “bad rap” early in his career to his growth as a leader.
“I think he’s continued to grow into his leadership,” Green said. “I think there were times earlier in his career where most people wouldn’t know how to handle it, and so then you end up getting a bad rap and like, ‘Oh, this guy is doing too much of this, he’s doing too much of that.’ He’s continued to grow into the leader that he’s become, and it’s been really good to watch.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, too, directly made the Smart-Green comparison on Wednesday. Kerr coached Smart as part of the U.S. National Team in the 2019 FIBA World Cup and he saw the similarities.
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“He’s just all over the place defensively,” Kerr said. “Really, really smart. Anticipates plays. Understands angles. The versatility to guard 1 through 5. It’s all there. So there’s a reason he won Defensive Player of the Year. He’s a great, great defender and probably an underrated offensive player as well.”
When told that Kerr had compared him to Green, Smart was in complete agreement.
“That’s a great comparison,” Smart said. “It’s an honor to be compared to a guy of Draymond’s caliber – a champion, great leader, great defender. He does what he does very well. I like to look at myself as that way. I definitely take some notes from Draymond, the way he leads and the way that he plays the game.”
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