Wild statistic serves as great reminder of why Grizzlies need Marcus Smart

Just over a year ago, the Memphis Grizzlies made a bold and daring move by trading guard Marcus Smart from the Boston Celtics.

An acquisition that many initially welcomed and pointed to as being influenced by the franchise’s win-now mentality, the veteran was seen as a highly experienced talent who could add to Grind City’s already menacing defensive unit and someone who could bring much-needed wisdom and experience to their highly talented, if rather green, roster.

However, in August 2024, we find that this once-lauded experiment is now in something of a wait-and-see phase, largely due to the club’s generally disastrous 2023-24 campaign, which saw them win just 27 games in total and endure a record number of different compositions due to the multitude of injuries suffered by players, both within their core and at the end of the bench.

Smart was one of those affected by injury and, as a result, was limited to just 20 games played, the lowest total of his ten-year career.

Of course, many were quick to point out his inefficiencies (especially on offense) even when he was active on the court, with his career-worst averaging 3.1 turnovers per game and his career-worst plus-minus rating of -2.4.

Because of these struggles, some have gone so far as to suggest that the Grizzlies should look to cut their losses on the Smart experiment and send him overseas via trade for perhaps another type of player who is expected to be capable of contributing to winning.

However, a Recently appeared statistic should serve as a good reminder of what Smart brings to this Grizzlies team, and why they hired him in the first place.

According to StatMuse’s findings, Marcus Smart is one of only four active players ever selected to an All-Star Game who have accumulated 1,000 or more points throughout their entire playoff career.

Now, before any smart alecks try to jump in and claim that his point total is more a result of his longevity and extensive playoff experience while playing for the always-competitive Celtics, that’s half the reason why this metric is so remarkable.

His record of 1,377 is eye-catching on its own, considering that he ranks 29th among active players. However, it does remind us that he is no stranger to being part of high-performing baseball clubs and seeing action under the spotlight of the NBA playoffs.

In other words, it reinforces one of the main reasons Zach Kleiman and his team hired him in the first place.

Although the Grizzlies’ core of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane have made three playoff appearances in their four years together, they have only managed to advance past the first round once.

Smart, on the other hand, has made the playoffs in nine of his ten seasons in the association, with six of those occasions seeing deep runs and a return during the 2022 season extending to the NBA Finals.

Of course, it’s important to understand that he wasn’t just along for the ride on those excursions, as reigning Finals MVP Jaylen Brown praised the guard for his leadership throughout his tenure, and even recognized that without him he might not have been able to progress as he needed to to win a title.

The guidance, defensive skills and, as evidenced by his 1,377 career points, offensive ability he’s shown to take on legitimate playoff threats over the years are exactly why the Grizzlies brought Smart to Grind City in the first place.

Give him a fully intact supporting cast where he can develop chemistry and familiarity — something he didn’t get last season with coach Taylor Jenkins’ ever-changing rosters — and there’s little reason to doubt his expertise won’t prove invaluable to this hungry Memphis team in 2024-2.