Marcus Smart is one of the grittiest players in the history of the Boston Celtics. He has great instincts on defense and constantly makes key hustle plays that impact the team on both sides of the ball.
Thus, it's no surprise that he is a favorite of many fans and basketball players alike. This includes Kendrick Perkins, who said that Smart would fit in during virtually any era and would be a favorite of the legendary Red Auerbach.
"He would fit in the Larry Bird Era, the Bill Russell Era," Perkins, the former Celtics center, said on NBC Sports Boston's Celtics Pregame Live before the C's took on the Jazz on Friday night. "Matter of fact, he probably would've been the great Red Auerbach's favorite player. When you think about Marcus Smart, he is Celtics Pride. Like, he represents what this whole Celtic DNA is all about. He's one of my favorite players.
"I love what he brings to the table. He's the heart and soul of this team. And one thing that I love about Marcus is that he's gotten better this year. Offensively, you could tell that he worked on his game this summer. He's an underrated playmaker. And he's just a great all-around guy in the gym. [Just] don't push his buttons."
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That's some pretty high praise from Perk, especially the part about Auerbach. He was one of the greatest talent evaluators in the history of the NBA and he certainly had specific traits that he looked for in prospects.
Smart's unique defensive abilities and work ethic would likely have endeared him to Auerbach. So, it's fair to say that Perkins is on point with this statement.
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For more of Perkins' thoughts in the lead-up to the Celtics' game against the Utah Jazz, check out the clip below or watch it on YouTube.
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