Marcus Smart has endured some frustrating moments ever since being traded away from the Celtics. He couldn’t stay healthy in Memphis as the Grizzlies traded him to the Wizards at the deadline. It’s been a minute since the 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year showed what he can do on the court as injuries have slowed him down.
Now with his new team, the veteran is coming off the bench for a rebuilding Washington team. But late in the the Wizards' win over the Nets on Monday, vintage Smart was back. After drawing a charge late on Trendon Watford, Smart celebrated with some flare that included a kip up. The former Celtics guard clearly wanted to make a statement now that he’s healthy enough to play consistently.
“I just wanted to continue to show everybody I still do this (expletive),” Smart said in his walkoff interview. “I think a couple people forget, and that was it.”
Smart played 22 minutes in the rare Wizards victory, putting up 10 points, one rebound and two assists. Don’t tell Smart the Wizards are effectively tanking amid a lost season because he isn’t about to lose games on purpose. While it’s only been two games in Washington, Smart is clearly leaving an impression on the fans and his teammates.
Smart, 30, hasn’t been able to showcase what he can contribute to a team, much like he did during his first nine seasons in the league with the Celtics. He was only able to play 39 total games in 1.5 seasons in Memphis and was passed up on the depth chart. But now, Smart looks healthy and ready to help out a young team looking to build some winning habits.
“As a player who loves playing the game, who’s a very competitive person, you always play with a chip on your shoulder,” Smart told reporters after the game. “To be able to come out here and show the world that you still can do what you’re known for because there is some people who have kind of probably slept. I haven’t played in a couple years consistently, so they probably forgot about me, which is cool. I’m used to it. Like I said, I still can do what I do.”
