Is Marcus Smart the best defensive guard in the NBA?

[@brodygalloway9807]

You saying “skilled big men” and then cutting to a clip of Cody Zeller might be the Hornets highlight of the year

[@hunterances2656]

Aye man as a hornets I’ve got nothing to say😂

[@brodygalloway9807]

E Hahahaha I actually love Cody Zeller and think he’s underrated (screening, versatile defensively etc) but yea, back to the basket game, not a strongsuit 🤣🤣

[@brodygalloway9807]

Hunter Ances I’m a diehard Hornets fan myself

[@CurseMonstr]

Zeller is mad underrated though to be fair

[@brodygalloway9807]

Young Nomad For sure. I actually have a Zeller bobcats jersey lmao. Wrecking ball screener, versatile defender, good passer for a big, etc. His back to the basket game is pretty hard to watch though.

[@notnigelll]

One of the high energy players that you love to have and hate to play against

[@kangkongsinigang5872]

faxx beverly n draymond too

[@ebdeljunioralexis8267]

@@kangkongsinigang5872 he's just a silent version of those guys. but the dude is high level defender, defense is boiling in his blood

[@jeebs9]

Truth!

[@stevensanchez4687]

@@kangkongsinigang5872 you havent been watching any nba this season if you think draymond is going to stop somebody

[@kangkongsinigang5872]

@@ebdeljunioralexis8267 agreed man

[@Jackisaboss1208]

He’s a plus in the post at 6’3”. That says it all

[@Biid21]

Jackisaboss1208 like 6’4 with a bigger frame

[@JonnyLin7]

Not really a plus post defender, he's just "passable" as per the analysis. You'd still rather have most forwards and big men guarding a post up, but he's better than almost all other guards his size.

[@nebulousbastrd]

Jon Dunn he isn’t a plus relative to forwards and bigs, that’s a given...i mean he’s 6’3 but him being even an average post defender relative to all players shows how great he is despite his height

[@devvv4616]

Harden's a good post defender at 6'5'' too

[@morbinmalachi]

@@devvv4616 harden is strong. Thats it. He doesnt have the skill in guarding the post that smart does, only the lower center of gravity compared to bigs

[@legendofnoob]

"Why is he taunting LeBron's Finals record with his jersey number" That had me ded, hahaha.

[@IllShivyou]

lol

[@andrewm6417]

Your spelling got me dead

[@henry7486]

andrew m Ded is a common way to spell dead, he’s not dumb. He knows how to spell the word dead

[@2kmichaeljordan438]

@@henry7486 he’s dumb for being the kind of people to spell dead that way

[@resurrectedpa]

Why tho

[@chrisfunari6479]

Even as a sixers fan I can’t help but love watching him play. He’s always giving 110% every possession. Smart is a rare breed in today’s NBA.

[@lostdomi42]

As a Kings fan I love to watch him play as well! One of my favourite players right now.

[@ysmmac6015]

as a celtics fan i- nevermind

[@pplRretards]

@@ysmmac6015 As a Celtucs fan we are extremely lucky to have a generational talent on defense like Smart! He absolutely deserves DPOY more then anyone I'm the NBA as there isn't anyone I bathe NBA that comes close to doing what he does with along with the amount of effort and hustle that he plays with is just relentless! Very deceptive athleticism imo but whatever athleticism he may give up in speed he makes up for with his basketball IQ and just natural instincts!

[@Young_Stocky]

Fax, he reminds me of a small Draymond.

[@austinfull8941]

He's the only guard that makes Giannis kick out while posting him up.

[@Sleepingow]

Harden punching the arm rn

[@drose2089]

Ben Simmons aswell

[@fwolf8340]

@@drose2089 He is 6'10 though which is one inch shorter than Giannis.

[@schlickmoney9599]

Nah Russ does that all the time

[@jeebs9]

Oh God I was expecting a bunch of " He's Smart" references lol

[@helloworld-vq9gq]

That's the exact comment I posted

[@epictnt]

Yea but I did it in my Boston accent tho....

[@lettucetomatoonion]

Forgot to mention Smart QB's the entire defense with communication...I'm biased though

[@MDHDH-iy7nm]

bias doesnt necessarily make you incorrect tho, u right u right

[@barneygaming1078]

@@MDHDH-iy7nm exactly bias dont make you incorrect

[@dylansanroman5706]

He Kinda references it with regards to switching and the Kemba example. I don't think Ben values that trait as much though because there is no way to quantify its value outside of the eye test. Like Smart QB's the offence, but is that a benefit or a negative? His IQ is high on a personal level, but that is difficult to dissect from a team point of view, and whether someone else taking the reins could improve it. Just as an example, his on off numbers aren't amazing, implying his leadership on the defensive end isn't translating to that much better defense. Not trying to negate your point, just explaining why it may not have been brought up.

[@bye9360]

But it might be due to how well coached the Celtics are so smart leadership might not matter

[@NotOneToFly]

He put it on his summary slide at the end actually, but yeah, could have used a shout out in the rest of the vid

[@babawahle1848]

Cool to see him getting some recognition, he’s definitely the x-factor for the Celtics and their success really depends if he has a good or bad game.

[@jeffreyxu6430]

"Barry Allen would be jealous of that reaction time." 🤣🤣 This is why Thinking Basketball is the greatest basketball channel ever

[@life-kc8pu]

If you notice at 4:30 Smart waves off Theis knowing he is capable of guarding the bigger Love down in the post, true defenders like Smart know when to guard 1 on 1 and when it is necessary for a double, it's like an iso on offense waving off your teammates knowing you can beat your man, but in this case, it's on the defensive side meaning Smart knows he can take on Love. People nowadays take defense for granted not knowing, the mechanics, iQ, footwork, vision, positioning ( one example of many is sagging/quick strides off the offensive player to beat him to the spot), instinct, and skill it takes to stop offensive threats in the league today. Shout out to Smart! The stats don't say how much an individual can affect the game on the defensive side of the game.

[@noahlandkaioken1192]

Advanced stats don't makes justice for him 😭

[@bcanaloglu]

@@noahlandkaioken1192 so true

[@terrencegreen755]

Rarely comment; 2:40 calls for it. That defensive recovery may be just the best cross-recovery footwork in the league.

[@NealBones]

People been sleeping on my man Marcus until now. Bro has always been putting in that work and it's nice to see all thr recognition he's bddn getting as of late

[@DamageIncorperated86]

I shed a tear when you showed Cody Zeller as your example of a skilled big man that man gets no respect

[@prometheus3498]

I've legit never heard of Cody Zeller being underrated. Can you explain why?

[@julianclark3838]

@@backroomsorigin because of the team he plays for, honestly, most headlines i read were about Kemba or Jordan... and Kemba is gone

[@DamageIncorperated86]

@@prometheus3498Above average at a lot of things. Great screener, actually decent at protecting the rim due to his impressive vertical, nice short roll playmaker, can shoot a bit and started shooting a decent amount of 3sthis year, and he also can switch pretty decently. He's not a post up guy but he can handle a mismatch and he usually does really well against lineups with big slow bigs and also small ball lineups. Not a huge rebounder but he boxes out well. So basically he gets underrated due to injury and the fact that he plays for the Hornets. If he was on either LA team or in Boston (good fit there especially) he would be talked about more as a really solid starting big.

[@bigtarzan44]

when you spam the steal button in the passing lane on 2k 3:36

[@jayspeller2254]

facts!!! 😂

[@randycabrera3601]

The goat is back🐐. Another amazing video.

[@sapphsliv9588]

because right now, i consider thinking basketball...... to be the best hoops channel......on the internet.

[@lemminjuice]

MAHCUS SMAHT DOING MAHCUS THINGS

[@bpdmf2798]

He is incredible. He just yanks the ball away from anybody, guards 1 through 5, stops guys he isn't even guarding, and just does things you don't see from anybody else. He is a defensive ninja.

[@shadowwarrior2030]

Marcus using the same defensive techniques being used by Kawhi. I hope many more players catches up to it. Defense is amazing to watch.

[@Biggmofo]

Also this guy’s weight helps him too. It was around 245 1-2 yrs ago. He lost like 15-20 with an off-season fitness regime to get more explosive. He’s built like a tank and is not afraid to use it.

[@dangelodrummond8315]

I still remember some Oklahoma state games when Marcus Smart was all the hype but he’s hella underrated now!!

[@MrLeGeNdArY23]

Would be interesting to see how advanced analytics view other DPOY-tier guards like Gary payton

[@theantisocialone3075]

This aged well lol

[@ramramcomcom3240]

Finally can answer this without hesitation. Yes, HE IS.🧤

[@ImBarryScottCSS]

This is the best basketball on KZbin. I've decided now, good knowledge of the stats combined with insightful eye test analysis.

[@metvoro94]

I didn’t know I wanted a Smart defense analysis video since I watch this. Really great content, as usual!!

[@beanbean656]

I knew Smart was always a pestering force on defense but I did not know just how impactful he really was! Great vid as always bringing light to these players who aren’t always brung up by mainstream sports media

[@arcanamight1965]

Came back to this after he won defensive player this year

[@pterrebonne3]

Love this series one defense. You should do a jrue holiday video

[@juliankenzo]

Now he definitely should make a video on him after Lillard called him the best defensive player/guard in the league.

[@BoolatGuzairov]

I wonder how many times we should ask for that Jonathan Isaac breakdown. Ben, have a mercy!

[@rotciv4ever116]

It will come after Isaacs first Dpoy just wait a couple if years

[@soji9412]

YESSS. I asked for this on the Davis video and received it! [Edit: Just finished the video, it’s disappointing to discover that even though Marcus seems to play as big as the best defenders in the league, he simply doesnt match up. However, I’m glad his value isn’t understated at all. Another great video!]

[@hermitcraft7131]

He's like a small Draymond

[@pieroangela1119]

The best sport yt channel ever, way better than mainstream media

[@dreturner671]

Man I just watched like 4 of these videos. The technical analysis of these players is really impressive. Great videos.

[@osori83]

As a long time Celtics fan, I can’t imagine him not on the Celtics. He also complements our J’s so well too.

[@ninjachannel007]

I've been searching YT for years for an uploader who likes to breakdown all the parts of defense. More like this!

[@niccogans]

*Tony Allen's voice* 1st TEAM ALL-DEFENSE! ☝

[@mccool6744]

I was waiting for this video for awhile. The amount of videos you make about the Celtics make me think you like them as much as I do.

[@chris_favreau]

This aged VERY well. Good stuff.

[@dailydoseofdneil4306]

Who's here after he won DPOY!

[@ethanhof2717]

his dpoy case was kind of weak this year but i'm still glad he won it. looking forward to seeing how he continues to develop as boston's PG

[@Dnero518]

@@ethanhof2717 yeah don't know if he really deserved it more than others but I like that they actually gave it to a guard. Maybe some of the leagues other best defending guards will step their game up tryna get it in the future now that they see its possible.

[@youngboy2pacdrake]

@@Dnero518im kinda irritated Smart lost dpoy in 2022 to Giannis. Biggest robbery

[@Tan-qm3yq]

Don’t let this distract you from the fact that he once dropped 11 threes in a game.

[@griplimit]

And at a 50% clip.

[@amierulasyraf3956]

yeah but still get rekt

[@TRAMNITTSU]

amierul asyraf yeah cause Booker goes god mode every time he plays at TD Garden Edit: Or just vs the Celtics in general

[@TheNBAALLTHEWAY]

The only guard that gives him competition is Jrue Holiday

[@OB1.257]

Jrue Holiday is a star ! One of the best 2 ways players in the last decade.

[@dripfield]

Jimmy Butler but he plays the 3 as often as the 2

[@slightexag]

Dejounte Murray's on the come up though

[@iamnotcorra_6506]

Pat Beverly

[@gremcilia_immermurin]

DeJounte and Thybulle in my book.

[@caffeinator1849]

Rewatching this after Smart won DPOY... and you're completely right. Celtics' unbelievable defence, apart from Smart's effort, is made possible by the development of Rob Williams as one of the league's top rim protectors. Great analyses!

[@halseypayne4249]

This video aged well, congrats Smart on being the first guard to get DOPY since Gary Payton 👏

[@warmpillow4457]

Who's here after Smart won the 2022 DPOY?

[@cactusman18]

Smart is a player that is so much better than any statistics can show. Man is pure heart

[@cameroncoleman6001]

I love how unbiased these videos are

[@friestyler8358]

As always, great vid, but maybe you want to check the description; at least for me it displayed the one from the recent Bucks video. Keep up the great work!

[@ianong9747]

Celtics Fan here and always been a Smart supporter. But watching this video made me appreciate Smart more in a different perspective So much things he actually does that doesnt get recognized

[@ego9927]

I have this channel's entertainment performance as a slight negative but that analysis is enough to thrust it to sub-allstar territory for me. Because right now, I think this channel is the best data driven basketball channel in youtube.

[@joaquinpanelati6022]

Crazy how every new video is better than the last one.

[@Caesarsinclairjr17]

Thrilling work as always

[@c00lhand208]

I use to not think much of his game other than to acknowledge his defensive tenacity, but over the last 3 years he’s really impressed me with the growth of his game.

[@bukchoiboi1611]

Amazing video! Finally an analysis of Marcus Smart. Love this fookin channel :)

[@eaglefan1124]

This is the analysis we want more of! Absolutely great!

[@gurjassinghbatra5758]

Thank you for the great analysis on how just following the basics can improve defensive impact! Can you please do a career analysis of Mike Conley? There are various claims of him being underrated and overrated especially due to his injury this year and the fact that he wasn't an all-star.

[@Edward-ju1vj]

Awesome to see all the efforts by smother brother (Smart), finally pay off. Well deserved! I've watched BB for a long time and do not remember another guard who plays as "big" as Smart does. His defense is excellent even when hes guarding fives. Guys who can guard one through five are usually bigs who are agile. Not 6'3" guards who can play like they're 6'10"!!!! The Celtic switching defense would not be nearly as effective without Smart on one end and Rob(who's extremely agile for his size) on the other. It's not like any team can just switch to this defensive philosophy and succeed. You need the right roster for it to work.

[@johnkirk.]

ahhh love it. Love Smart. Would love to see a Pat Bev video too

[@CoryWillis]

Well this aged perfectly

[@mordecaismopstick]

Here 1 year later when Marcus Smart is the first point guard since GP to win DPOY. He’s come a long way, heart of the Celtics and we’re all proud of him. YOUNG GAME CHANGER

[@jaidencastro5495]

Here a year later and Marcus Smart is the 2022 DPOY

[@JanembaFreak]

Love this video, very informative as always

[@groovyq7910]

Here we are

[@marlowe5511]

Great video man, keep them coming!

[@azzyinho_9940]

Love these analyses, keep on the good work!

[@TheBordermen]

i was waiting for someone to drop a video on smart. tnks

[@GrooveFactory11]

great video! Smart torches the Mavs every time we play them. Something not mentioned that i think is relevant, is the amount of points scored off of one of these perimeter steals. While bigs block shots and impact opponent shooting percentage, they rarely result in a pick6. So that added value may or may not show up on advanced D metrics. The other thing is that by hounding people coming up court, how does that affect the other teams efficiency in the halfcourt? by eating off 8s of a possession, that should have a huge impact in teams that rely on a primary ballhandler creating offense (like the Mavs or Rockets). Overall i think you slightly undervalue Smart here, even if the metrics agree with you. This is one where the eye test seems to point to him being top 10 defensively.

[@onil1325ms]

He is my fav player in the league! bro is inspirational with that hustle and IQ

[@xoolyizhim]

Imagine a lineup of PG: Smart SG: Gary Payton. SF: LeBron PF: Giannis C: Gobert 😳

[@Himmyjewett]

Yeah you don't know ball

[@clarkmann6374]

lets go love the celtics love

[@jordan12118]

Marcus Smart is one of those guys you need for a title team

[@hughjames6535]

Jordan Davis ye

[@elchichosantana6410]

No. He is an overrated so called heart of the team. He is an average joe player.

[@jaheimraheim4115]

@@elchichosantana6410 what u mean 🤣🤣🤣

[@elchichosantana6410]

@@jaheimraheim4115 he is an average player. A drunk.Larry Bird can shoot 60 pts against Marcus Smart using his left hand.

[@cobalt6014]

@@elchichosantana6410 old head

[@johnsettle2542]

Yes! Another vid!!!

[@ianconnor4745]

YES!! He’s been defending bigs this year. He deserves it.

[@johndon5555]

I know your reading these comments and THANK YOU FOR USING THE ORIGINAL BACKGROUND MUSIC. YOU SHOULD BE ON ESPN.

[@SK-mw8vd]

As an undersized defensive guard myself, I will always have a soft spot for Smart. Him at OKState was masterful.

[@anuthanuisance533]

Why does he taunt lebron james with his finals record on the front of his jersey lol

[@MrSamwiseable]

cuz its funny as hell

[@BradDanyluk]

It was just a joke because he's #36. Smart was 36 before Bron was 3-6 in the finals.

[@ratedpending]

@@gremcilia_immermurin it's a 3-6 number 36 joke

[@kohisaaakohisaaa7095]

You can already see certain group of fans are taking this seriously lol

[@tylerw.100]

Gonna have to change it to 46 next season

[@Icenspelgude]

Best basketball channel out there

[@peterpan3022]

coming here 1 year later just as marcus smart won dpoy. goes to show the quality of this content!

[@19turtledog]

Hes the best and most versatile defensive guard in the league and deserves serious consideration for DPOY

[@Thanosdidtherighthing]

Ben Simmons is 6’10 buddy and more athletic than smart lol

[@19turtledog]

@@Thanosdidtherighthing so what..? Smart is still a better defender

[@Thanosdidtherighthing]

@@19turtledog Meaning he can do everything smart can do and much much more.

[@19turtledog]

@@Thanosdidtherighthing okay and lebron is better than ben simmons what's your point? This is about Smart and his defense. Which he plays better than 6'10 ben Simmons

[@phin1969]

I think you should do these breakdowns on retired players. This video made me think of Gary Payton and it would be sick to do a vid about him

[@georgenyangaya7678]

Consistently great videos🙏🏿

[@jemirtoussaint3440]

Love the flash reference, keep up the fire analysis

[@aoiSATO77]

Love the Lawler shoutout at 2:34

[@csfperson1289]

Good oversight

[@benjaminbaumgardner7620]

Loved this video! Such amazing skills

[@tannerrienbolt3143]

He is the most important player on the team. Nowhere near the best, but by far the most important. We won't win if he isn't in the game

[@TheSneezinPanda]

My favorite player in the league! Met him twice one of the coolest guys in the league. Marcus Genius

[@dddiop]

You've got the wrong description for the video FYI, but good vid, 2020 the year of defence for Ben Taylor.

[@chevon7665]

I’d love to see an updated Ben Simmons video sometime in the near future. The Sixers are planning on using him more at the 4 spot as a roller and I think that will make ask the difference in the world come playoff time

[@hermitcraft7131]

Watch his video on Ben Simmons. Ben Simmons already plays as a forward in the half court. I don't think there will be any difference besides what the media calls him.

[@Beofware]

Lol How'd that work out?

[@giacomoscuttari7905]

The description is wrong, but the video is great as always

[@woopityscoop2863]

He's a very skilled defender with a lot of energy. Terrifying combo.

[@MultiJlife]

As usual, goat level analysis!

[@janniswessel3818]

I thought this vid is more a Debatte about who is the best guard defender but I'm definitely happy with what I got

[@kingho2885]

Would like to watch analysis on prime D. wade’s defense and blocking techniques. Also on whether he was one of the best defensive guards in the NBA

[@taylor6466]

this video came out a year earlier. really solid predictions on the 3'n'D point guard take

[@swasho2939]

this video came out in 2020

[@taylor6466]

@@swasho2939 thanks for clarifying. It said it was posted a year ago, but wasn't sure

[@skgb75]

This vid aged well

[@kags9367]

awesome video as always! just out of curiosity, why is the video description talking about Giannis and the Bucks LOL

[@narz7573]

I've returned to this video. He is now the DPOTY

[@lucwijngaard8413]

He is one of my favorite players

[@ladscrimpton8590]

Another important attribute he has is his energy. His outstanding hustle is like a lightning rod for his teammates. Besides his on the court hustle, he also seems to fire up his team off the court. The Celtics came out in game 3 against Miami and played really well, all after Smart took it to his teammates in the locker room after the game 2 loss.

[@arityariv]

I been saying for like 3 years Marcus smart is great, he impact the game in winning way and he has a winner mentality, if Simmons isn’t a guard he should be anonymously the best defensive guard in the league, he is the one player to guard all 5 positions while not being a big, his impact is huge, he used to bring energy from the bench but it’s just something else at this point, with some teams, he could be the third best players, he really improved his shot in his game as a whole, he presides the best volue out of any bench player in the NBA rn, and he is becoming extremely underrated