Ht/Wt: 6' 4" / 220 lbs
Position: PG
Team: Oklahoma St.
Class: Sophomore

2014 Draft Profile - Marcus Smart

Strengths:
Smart has the exact build you want in today’s age of point guards. He is built like a tank, with an excellent wingspan for his size. He is great at using his body to his advantage, bullying over smaller guards to get in the paint.

Once he gets to the paint he is great at finishing through contact. His athleticism also allows him to go above the rim and finish with thunderous dunks, or beautiful layups. He is also an excellent passer and does a great job at getting his teammates involved.

Arguably his biggest strength is his defensive ability. His strength and quickness make him difficult to get around. Combined with his long arms and quick hands, and he comes up with a lot of steals both on and off the ball. He also prides himself on his defense and wants to lock down his opponent which is half the battle on that end.

He has a confidence and attitude about him that is somewhat similar to Russell Westbrook. He is extremely intense, almost to a fault, but you know that he will do everything in his power, night in and night out, to get that victory. He is a teammate you want on your team.

Weaknesses:
Smart made the shocking decision to return to school last year despite being projected as a top-3 pick in last year’s draft. Unfortunately for Smart, the biggest thing he needed to work on, his jump shot, failed to improve in his second season.

There are times when he chooses to settle for his jumper, which make things worse because he is so adept at getting to the basket. His decision making leaves a lot to be desired at times as well. He tends to take difficult, contested jumpers which brings his percentages down even further. He will have to figure out how to turn that around.

Of course there is the issue of his attitude. He is known to have a short fuse at times, something that reared its head when Smart pushed a fan during a game at Texas Tech. What really happened in that situation is something that teams and general managers will have to investigate as great players must be able to control their emotions.

Stats:
PPG: 18.0 RPG: 5.9 APG: 4.8 SPG: 2.9 BPG: 0.6 FG%: 42.2 3PT%: 29.9 FT%: 72.8

Player profile submitted by: Elliot Cook of Lakers Nation - April 16th

Marcus is a power guard. At 6ft 4, 220lbs he has the build of a football player but he has a good handle, explosion that puts pressure on the defense and allows him to rack up impressive points and assist numbers. Marcus is getting great experience at leading a somewhat under-talented squad in a tough conference. Marcus competes hard on the glass and defensive end which will be valued in the NBA.

Marcus lacks effecient outside shooting. The turnover numbers are also a bit high and of course there was the high profile incident where he lost his cool and went after a fan during a game. The hope is this is a isolated incident that he learns from and not something that starts a bad rap that he falls into. All other indicators have been that Smart is a great teammate, competitor with no off court issues.

Marcus is not the finisher that Wade is but there is definite similarities, also comps to Eric Gordon, Bledsoe and Lance Stephenson. A productive, fringe all star prospect.
Player profile submitted by: Tom Patterson - March 7th

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Marcus Smart Videos

Marcus Smart 2013 NBA Draft Scouting Report Video


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