Category Archives: Marcus Smart schools of thought

Players may need coaches and colleges less than we think

Correct response of Division I head coaches and the NCAA to this graphic: Uh-oh.

Proper response of Division I head coaches and the NCAA to this graphic: Uh-oh.

The evergreen topic of the NBA’s age limit has popped up again in the news, as it is wont to do every couple of years. Whenever this discussion recurs, it’s informed and to a certain extent framed by two implicit assumptions:

1. Player development is a gift waiting to be bestowed by wise college coaches if only blue-chip Division I programs can get the nation’s best young prospects in-house for a season or, even better, two.

2. College ball and the NBA together comprise a closed-loop pipeline that elite players will always have to navigate, international prospects and the occasional Brandon Jennings notwithstanding.  Continue reading →

Should we look past Marcus Smart’s numbers if they’re good?

Leave a reply
PP

Pistol Pete gets a bonus year to cheer on Smart.

Marcus Smart was announced as a unanimous first-team All-American selection this week, and the AP’s writeup included the following paragraph:

The 6-foot-4 Smart, who won the Wayman Tisdale Award as the country’s top freshman, said he’s coming back also to improve on his 1.3-to-1 assists-to-turnover ratio and his 40 percent shooting from the field, including just 29 percent from 3-point range.

To those who say this seems like a fairly lengthy to-do list for the presumptive national POY, the stock response is that we need to look past stuff like that when it comes to Smart. Continue reading →