Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports
Marcus Smart struck again. The sophomore guard out of Oklahoma State poured in 30 points and added four assists in another statement for Mr. Smart. Smart has excelled so far this season, but the one knock scouts had on him was his outside shot.
Those critics have been silenced. He was 4-for-8 from downtown on the night and has shot over 40 percent from three-point range on the year. Smart is simply doing it all. He is driving to the hoop and scoring, and he is drawing contact in order to get to the charity stripe. He is even finding his teammates for easy buckets.
Smart is playing the point guard position about as well as you could ask for a kid who is only 19 years old. He reminds me of NBA star guard James Harden as he can do it all on a basketball floor.
Some professional team come June is going to be very lucky to have this man playing for them. The reason his game would translate so well to the next level is he already has an NBA body. This is a strong, thick guard. He bullies opposing guards and forwards at the college level. It almost isn’t fair.
He would come in right away I believe and make an impact. The kid just has a knack for finding the bucket. For now Smart is focused on finishing his college career, and for my money he is the front-runner for player of the year.
His decision to stay in school was questioned by some, but it looks like (pun intended) a “Smart” decision. He has improved his game in a variety of ways, most notably from the perimeter, and will only be a better pro because of it. Smart will be a force to be reckoned with no matter what stage or level of basketball he plays on.
