Marcus Smart was fined for an obscene gesture, so should the Celtics be concerned about his mental makeup and all the technical fouls?
Well, not exactly.
“Growing up everybody’s been a competitor. They’ve always been taught to compete and never give up. And to have that fight and determination,” said Smart, “you just gotta do know when to turn it on and turn it off.”
That last thing Smart said is most important. We’re talking about a guy who plays with an edge and is just 22-years-old in his second year in the league. He’s already one of the NBA’s elite perimeter defenders, but he hasn’t yet earned the respect of the referees.
As Smart matures as a person and as a player, these instances will become a rarity.
Watch the video above for comments by A. Sherrod Blakely and Kyle Draper.