Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart is enjoying a banner campaign this 2021-22 season, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award while being on the brink of his first NBA Finals appearance. His efforts have earned him a lot more respect around the league, but, surprisingly, there is one soul who doesn’t feel the same way as 99 percent of voters for the NBA All-Defensive Team.
According to Celtics insider Keith Smith, Smart got all but one first-place vote for First Team All-Defense honors.
Marcus Smart received 99 of 100 first-place votes for NBA All-Defensive First Team.
Someone left him off their ballot entirely, somehow.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) May 21, 2022
Does someone have enough beef with Smart to make this egregious decision? Probably. Is this a product of a lame troll job? It could be. It doesn’t take away from what he’s done for the Celtics, though.
One needs to look further than Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. In Smart’s return to action, the Celtics played like a totally different team from the one in the series opener, as they ran roughshod over the Miami Heat, 127-102.
Despite Jayson Tatum’s team-high 27 markers, Smart was arguably the best player for Boston on Thursday night, tallying 24 points, nine rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, and one block.
Celtics fans don’t need to launch an investigation to discover the identity of this lost voter. The truth is out there, and all that’s required is for that person to open his/her eyes. Regardless, Marcus Smart will continue to do what he does best as the Celtics have a bigger fish to fry in the postseason.
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