Yes, when you lose in the Finals, it is necessarily difficult to think of anything other than the last four defeats suffered. But after taking a step back, you also have to think again about how far you have come. Two weeks after the end of the season, Marcus Smart has therefore decided to come back to his team’s excellent run in the Playoffs.
Sweep of one of the favorites to the title in the first round, elimination of the defending champion in the second and exit of the first from the East in the Conference Finals. This is what the young Celtics accomplished during these 2022 Playoffs. A grueling but exceptional run from Boston en postseason, qui unfortunately ended with a defeat in the NBA Finals against the Warriors and their unfazed-looking dynasty. But as said above, humans tend to retain the negative more than the positive. It therefore took a few weeks for Marcus Smart to be able to talk about it quietly during a basketball camp in the remote suburbs of Boston. Reflecting on the situation and looking back over the past two months, the C’s leader had a lot of questions: what would have happened if Robert Williams III or himself had not been injured during this run, for example. The Boston point guard was asked about a number of reasons that may have played into the Celtics’ loss in the Finals, including the great pressure that young Boston franchise player Jayson Tatum may have suffered.
“You arrive and they give you the keys straight away, and that’s a lot of pressure. Keep growing. […] Don’t worry about what other people say, because you will always have people who love you and people who hate you.” –Marcus Smart for Boston Herald
And speaking of people who hate it, Marcus Smart has two doctorates on the subject. Indeed, the former Oklahoma State player has been mired in transfer rumors for quite some time and plagued with criticism at every misstep. Today, his 2021-22 season as an individual has managed to get everyone to agree. Alongside the leading scoring duo JB-JT, Marcus has become a true vocal leader who has succeeded in instilling in young people the will to go into battle with a knife between their teeth and never give up in the face of adversity. . He is also very proud of this fighting spirit shown by his teammates and him during these 2022 Playoffs. According to the main interested party, the leader of the C’s has also managed to prove himself throughout the season what he was capable of.
“We had star point guards, and yet it was the only point guard who was supposedly not a point guard who led the team to the Finals. I think that says enough. I don’t really need to say more. I think everyone finally sees and understands who I really am, and what I can do if given the chance. »
The playmakers in question are of course Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker. Yes, you have to admit, all the Celtics fans were betting on them to lead Boston as far as possible in the Playoffs… eThe C’s playoff runs in recent years have been pretty disappointing. With Kyrie then Kemba, Boston twice failed to pass the Conference Finals stage, and this year with Smart in the lead, things became crystal clear. The boy was voted Defender of the Year, the first title for a point guard since 1996, the oldest player on the C’s roster knows the house like the back of his hand and had no trouble rallying his teammates behind him to get this title of Eastern Conference champion. The Celtics lieutenant intends to continue to help his core franchise and his teammates stay on top. Should new players be added to the squad for this? Ok, Marcus Intelligent trusts his GM and former coach Brad Stevens.
“I don’t pay much attention to it. [aux rumeurs et aux critiques]. I know what I bring and that’s what I focus on, what I bring to this team. Everything else will be fine, Brad (Stevens) is great at what he does and he’ll find the right pieces to make sure we stay in the right direction. »
After hanging around in trade rumors and in the mouths of fairly critical fans for several years, Marcus Smart had the opportunity to respond brilliantly in the Playoffs to take the Celtics to the NBA Finals. One thing is certain today, the oldest player in the Boston squad is not yet ready to leave, and will not want to stop at a single unfortunate participation in the NBA Finals.
Source texte : Boston Herald