Marcus Smart is considered one of the finest defensive talents in the NBA. He has been too good with defense and has been proving his skills, and versatility on court. When asked about his excellent defensive skills, Marcus said that he just defends the same way as his elder brother Todd did. It is quite evident that he was very close to his brother.
I defend just like my brother Todd lived. He taught me how to play defense by the way he lived his life. I defend like every game is my last game, like anything can be taken away at any moment, and that’s what my brother taught me. That’s what he always preached to me, so that’s how I believe the game should be played. He is never forgotten when I play, and his name will never be lost in vain.
Marcus Smart considered Harden as the toughest assignment
Marcus Smart was asked about the toughest defensive assignment, and he named James Harden. He appreciated James skills on the court and one more thing he mentioned was that James has the advantage of his big body size.
James Harden. The way he plays, he makes it very hard to defend him. He’s creative, he’s crafty, and he’s a bigger guard so he’s unique for his size.
James is one of the finest talents in the NBA but Marcus Smart not naming greats like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant in the list of “toughest assignments” was quite surprising to the fans. James is good but he is nowhere near elites like LeBron Steph or Kevin. Any NBA player who has played with these stars would put at least one of them on the list of toughest competitors.
Marcus Smart playmaking highlights
Consistently gets his teammates easy & open looks pic.twitter.com/lFNOhpLC3F
— Pull up shoot (@NElGHT_) June 7, 2023
James Harden’s comparison with Stephen Curry
NBA Championships
Stephen Curry 4
James Harden 0
NBA Seasons
Stephen Curry 14
James Harden 14
Playoffs Played
Stephen Curry 9
James Harden 14
All-Star Games
Stephen Curry 9
James Harden 10
James Harden’s comparison with LeBron James
NBA Championships
James Harden 0
LeBron James 4
NBA Seasons
James Harden 14
LeBron James 20
Playoffs Played
James Harden 14
LeBron James 16
All-Star Games
James Harden 10
LeBron James 19
James Harden’s comparison with Kevin Durant
NBA Championships
Kevin Durant 2
James Harden 0
NBA Seasons
Kevin Durant 15
James Harden 14
Playoffs Played
Kevin Durant 12
James Harden 14
All-Star Games
Kevin Durant 13
James Harden 10
It was quite surprising to many NBA fans that Marcus Smart didn’t consider players like LeBron, Kevin Durant, and Steph as tough competitors.
