Celtics select Marcus Smart with the No. 6 pick in 2014 NBA Draft
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The Boston Celtics selected Oklahoma State point guard Marcus Smart with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft on Thursday night.
With the 6th overall pick in the 2014 #NBADraft, the @Celtics select @smart_MS3! pic.twitter.com/6txIlLAp8g
— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) June 27, 2014
Well, you certainly can't call this pick ... dumb. See what we did there? Sorry, it's going to be a long night.
Anyway, you really can't fault this pick, as Smart is an enticing prospect at the guard position, one who should contribute immediately and who, if you're a believer in analytics, ranks among the top players in the entire class. Plus, there's the pedigree of having entered the year as one of the top-three prospects, something his on-court play did little to dispel.
But Smart did raise red flags by confronting a fan in the stands in February, and reports from the pre-draft combine were that his interviews didn't really put teams at ease. That hasn't been enough to derail Smart's stock too much, as his toughness, finishing, and defense make him a near lock to be one of the top-three point guards from the class, should he stick at the one long-term.
Smart may seem like a curious choice for a Celtics team that already rosters Rajon Rondo, but many have wondered whether Danny Ainge will send Rondo packing. Either way, Smart projects as the Celtcis' point guard for the next decade, one who, after staying in Stillwater for an extra season, will be ready to contribute from day one.
Marcus Smart: "Everybody knows what you're going to get out of the #Celtics. They're going to compete every day, and that's who I am."
— Jessica Camerato (@JCameratoNBA) June 27, 2014