His critics of late will disagree, but Smart is still a top ten draft pick.
Let’s remember Marcus Smart is only 19.
The idea that he’s automatically supposed to be picture perfect is asinine. Yes, he got into an altercation with a fan. It was juvenile, but you can’t expect every young prospect to instantly mature.
Even LeBron James was in hot water before he entered the NBA Draft because he had a love for replica sports jerseys. The point is no one is perfect, and though this happened, it’s not a forgone conclusion that Smart is going to be immature.
This is still the kid who would have (probably) been the second-overall pick in last year’s draft if he had left for the NBA — after his first full season as a point guard.
If I were an NBA general manager, I’d be more concerned with Smart’s three-point shooting than his “character issues.”
In his first mock draft, ESPN’s John Goodman knocked Smart all the way down to No. 14 to the Memphis Grizzlies — barely in the lottery. First of all, I highly doubt Memphis would waste a lottery pick on a point guard when 26-year-old Mike Conley is still alive and kicking.
You don’t use lottery picks on back-up players.
At the end of the day, unless the kid has a legitimate criminal record, “character issues” rarely hold up on court — law humor. Also, no one was doubting Smart before the incident with the Texas Tech fan. He only got a three-game suspension. He’ll still play five regular season games and get tournament play.
Smart has great vision and control of the basketball. He bolts from coast to coast off the defensive rebound, and he can create his own shot with the best of the 2014 class. He’s averaging 4 assists a game as Oklahoma State’s primary scorer. He’s shooting 42 percent from the field and snatches about six rebounds a game.
The kid can flat out ball, so I don’t want to hear anyone say the Texas Tech incident should drop his draft stock. If Smart doesn’t make it in the NBA, it most likely won’t be because he’s susceptible to duking it out with crazed fans.
Besides, the guy Smart got into a brief shoving match with deserved what he got. What kind of “adult” calls a 19-year old “a piece of crap”? If Smart is telling the truth, which begs to be the case because there was no prior concern about Smart’s maturity, then I don’t blame him.
Smart will have to learn to deal with fans like that because it won’t get any easier at the next level. However, it won’t happen overnight.
The moral of the story, kiddies, is that Smart is a phenomenal talent, and this shouldn’t set him back. I still see him being a top-10 pick in June. When push comes to shove, Smart’s shove won’t matter.
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