Under Marcus Smart’s stewardship as the starting point guard, the Celtics were good. Well, very good. It’s hard to argue against the statistics. Over the course of the entire 2022-2023 regular season, the Celtics were the second-best offensive team (117.3 points per 100 possessions) and the second-best defensive team (110.6 points per 100 possessions), totaling the highest net rating of 6.7. Pretty good, right?
Considering Brad Stevens’ overhaul of the roster, it apparently wasn’t good enough.
As good as Boston was at 35,000 feet, a closer inspection may have forced the President of Basketball Operations to make the biggest trade of his tenure so far in dealing Smart for Kristaps Porzingis.