Video: Marcus Smart high school highlightsCeltics guard in action against Houston's Yates High School.Marcus Smart is viewed as a gritty, overachieving defensive stopper in NBA circles.
But in Boston's 107-94 win over Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday night, Smart showed exactly what made him one of the most unique prospects to come out of the high school ranks in recent years.
The
Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas) product scored 11 points, dished out nine assists, grabbed four rebounds and made four steals as the Celtics took a 2-0 lead in the series.
Boston was +21 during his 31 minutes on the floor, illustrating his ability to impact games without going big in the scoring column.
Smart went 114-6 during his final three years of high school at Marcus, winning back-to-back state titles in 2011 and 2012. He was a first team MaxPreps All-American as a senior, averaging 15.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
247Sports pegged Smart as the No. 10 overall prospect in the Class of 2012. After two years at Oklahoma State, he was taken with the No. 6 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Marcus Smart in playoff action as a senior against South Grand Prairie.
Photo: Keith Owens
