The 2022 NBA Finals have seen two very tough defensive teams face each other, the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors. Neither team has been afraid to get physical, but gritty defense is the identity of this Boston Celtics resurgence that has seen them get to the NBA Finals.
That Celtics defense is anchored by Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, who is one of the most versatile defenders in the NBA even though he is a guard. Smart takes matchups with everyone all over the court (except centers in the post) and does a good job at causing turnovers or restricting opposing offenses.
He does this through skill but also a lot of strength. Smart put that strength to good use against the Warriors. A clip of Smart setting a pick for Jayson Tatum and holding off both Andrew Wiggins and Stephen Curry in a pick has gone viral, as the announcers can’t believe a foul wasn’t called.
Marcus Smart on this screen 😅
"He's got everybody clamped." pic.twitter.com/m2uSsE5bV7
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 14, 2022
Smart is an extremely tough-nosed defender and has been putting it all on the court in the Finals. Many teams and players get to even reach their stage just once in their careers, so the Celtics are pushing to make sure they can come out of this victorious.
They are currently 3-2 down and cannot afford to lose even a single game for the rest of the season. Game 6 will be held in Boston, so the home crowd will be fired up to make sure their Celtics can at least stretch it to a Game 7.
Smart has been a vocal leader for the team and has been their point guard despite not being an elite playmaker. He is the extension of Udoka on the court and plays like it. While that pick should have been a foul, the commentators said it best; it’s not illegal if the referees don’t blow the whistle on it.
