Smart type players impact are not visible in the box score. It's like Caruso or White. They just constantly make winning plays that don't show in the stat sheet.
Doesn't change the fact that his offensive shooting stats were abysmal. Making winning plays, sure. But also probably wouldn't need too many of these winning plays if he was more efficient from the field as well, no? If Marcus Smart from games 1-3 at Houston showed up, those OKC games look a lot closer. Just tough to win when your starting guard turns the ball as much as he has assists and shoots 30% from the field. At his age and some injury concerns still lingering as well as the Lakers not having infinite $ to blow, $8-10 million is a generous offer. Like, what are you comfortable paying Smart? He's not going to get any better so it's not like the money you're paying him is going towards a player who can develop and improve. There's a cost to that as well.
i'd pay smart 8-10 per, but i'd really try very very hard to get him to opt in and trust me that i'll pay him more next year. and i would make good on that promise once we're operating clearly over the cap.
I see you're more of a stats guy, based on this and the Herb conversation. I think we see basketball differently. You probably like Drummond or Cam Thomas and I don't He guarded full court the MVP through the whole series. And he had a very meh series. It was also due to JJ's defensive approach but that only worked because you had someone like Smart. That's worth like 5 threes. He handled the ball more than he will ever again because Luka was out, it's not an issue. I'm pretty sure he will 15million offers and I won't hate if we need to go there. But I really hope we can get him cheaper and believe we will get him in that range or even lower on a wink-wink deal
Smart played some of the best defense on SGA I’ve seen. I’m super comfortable putting him on anyone from SGA to Durant. I’d like to split the MLE between him and Thybulle. Smart - 10m x 3 years (PO year 2 and TO year 3) Thybulle - 5.1m x 2 years
Reports of his decline and injury proneness, allegedly, turned out to be not close to accurate. That was Caruso level pressure and technique and heart. How great to have that back.
i think it's hilarious that houston's considering year 2 of raiding us for aging and oft-injured role players. like, in the same blurb they're talking about trying to get off the one they "stole" from us last year. don't get me wrong, i'd rather keep smart, but getting into a bidding war would be a bad idea. if someone wants to throw the full mle at him, i think you have to let him walk. we've got other holes to fill, and i'm not sure i trust him to hold up. there might be a laravia type option out there that outplays him at half the cost next year.
I don't think you can let him walk. Three of our FAs you can't afford to hit the door, one just got the max, one is waiting on us to figure out what big fish we're going after and Marcus is the third. First two is talent reasons you're just not replicating. With Marcus it's partly that but it's just as much culture. He is a one man culture setter and an entire defensive identity to himself. He should opt out, he earned a bigger payday. But I don't think we'll have to go crazy with his price. Hoping the Suns players set his market ceiling at the room exception. I'd pay $15m on a short deal if we absolutely had to though. Cause even if you can squint and replicate the on the court production at say $8m, they can't do the other stuff he brings and those are championship players attributes. There's a short list of those guys and none of them are even available for $15m.
Yeah I don’t think he is that easily replaceable at all. He played like one of the best 1-3 defenders in the NBA and still contributed offensively. He had the best +/- on off last year after Luka. Like Wallangong, I’d go up to the full MLE to retain him and I think his value is more than that. I’d offer him a Team Option in year 3 - OKC does it to every player.
