The Washington Wizards landed Marcus Smart ahead of the NBA trade deadline, and as he continues to serve as a vital piece off the team's bench, the trade begins to look like it may have been a beneficial move by both sides.
Smart is a former lottery pick that made a name for himself by giving 110% effort on a nightly basis. Whether he was injured, coming off the bench or starting, it never changed how the Oklahoma State product approached each game with the mindset to prove that he belonged.
The guard isn't the most talented player in the league by any means, but he made it a point of emphasis to play to his strengths and do everything he could to be a good teammate. Smart's strengths happened to be on the defensive end of the floor, where he quickly mastered the craft of stopping the opposing team's best player and being an absolute pest on defense.
Between taking charges, constantly causing deflections or simply just taking up for his teammates, Smart never backed down to an opponent, no matter their size or their stature. Smart was finally recognized for all he has to offer on defense winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022, being the first guard to win the prestigous award since Gary Payton in 1996.
Smart has played with a fire and a chip on his shoulder since the day he entered the league, and to this day at 30-years-old on a rebuilding team, he still plays with that same fire. Which for the Wizards young core, may be the most impactful way he can mentor them.
Smart's recent comments set strong example for Wizards core
Washington took on Smart's contract at the deadline because they believed he would be a good fit to be a veteran presence in the Wizards locker room for the team's young core, more specifically Bilal Coulibaly and Bub Carrington. The two guards have already began picking the mind of Smart to better themselves on defense, but that's not all Smart is there to do.
The veteran has already contributed to wins since joining the Wizards, and largely because of his ability to do the dirty work on defense and contribute to winning doing what he does best. And following a recent win, Smart wanted everyone to remember he's still the dog that he entered the league as.
"I just wanted to continue to show everybody I still do this s***.," said Smart "Excuse my french. I think a coyple of people forgot and that was it. We've got a good young team here, we play our a** off and I just want to come in and contribute."
Smart's mindset and play on the court will be a direct impact to how the team's young core approaches each game moving forward, and the longer they have Smart to bounce ideas off of and learn from, the better.
Meanwhile, the guard continues to play the game he loves and proves he has plenty to offer contending teams, which could be a huge help moving forward for both him and the Wizards rebuild if he can increase his trade value.