NBA Notebook: Marcus Smart embracing smaller role on Grizzlies in Boston return

The intensity. The passion. Celtics fans saw and remembered all the familiar sights of the Marcus Smart experience when he returned for a second time with his new Grizzlies team to play against his former Boston teammates for the first time. He hit his backward three to cap his warmup. Friends and family, including his newborn son, joined him in the stands. A combination of foot and hand injuries cost him both Celtics games last year as part of a completely lost season for Memphis, one of the most injury-riddled in NBA history.

Smart turned his right ankle earlier this week as he had many times before, most famously in the 2022 East finals against the Heat when he returned with a three in a Game 3 comeback that fell short on the way to the Finals. That placed his availability into question before a successful shootaround on Saturday morning at MIT where he added another ailment, butting heads with a teammate and getting cut above his right eye. With blood on his shirt and a fresh bandage, he vowed to play anyway, and did, though a 127-121 win for his Grizzlies didn't feature him as a major story. If anything, it showed the continued virtue of him taking a step back on a deep, versatile roster. 

He came off the bench for a ninth straight game in favor of rookie Jaylen Wells, who's played well next to Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke, back from his achilles tear, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. Memphis rediscovered itself through injuries last season and more to begin this year, finding Smart more effective in its second unit before closing alongside Morant. That bench role only slightly subdued his entrance on Saturday, drawing a loud applause from the Garden crowd five minutes into the game. Taylor Jenkins praised Smart two hours earlier for embracing the move to the bench. 

"His unselfishness has been unbelievable the last couple of weeks coming off the bench," Jenkins said. "I think he's embraced it, he's really fueled that bench mob we've talked about. It's still growing, it's a work in progress as we're figuring out our lineups and guys with various injuries over the course of the start of the season coming in-and-out. I think he's displayed a lot of leadership in that role, I think he's played with a lot of confidence, he's had some really good games the last couple of weeks, defensive intensity and he knows he's gonna be in position to finish games too even if he's come off the bench ... (he's) the ultimate competitor, the ultimate winner, whatever it takes to win. There's no better definition of leadership than when you're making that sacrifice for your team." 

After he entered, Smart went at Jayson Tatum in the lane, pulling up for a short turnaround that missed. He tried to bang past Sam Hauser and try another mid-ranger that missed before back-to-back threes and a put-back try failed and he fell to 0-for-5. Fans in the loge began to encourage him to keep shooting. Instead, the Grizzlies shifted away from Smart after 19 minutes, closing with Jake LaRavia, Clarke, Morant, Jackson and Bane after luring Jrue Holiday to shoot 17 threes in a strategy ominously reminiscent of how some opponents used to play Smart. It worked, Memphis riding a 10-0 run that secured the lead back from Boston, Jackson closing the win with four floaters in the paint and a three. 

Smart shot 1-of-11, grabbed two boards, dished two assists and turned the ball over twice in his minutes, falling to 35.1% from the field and 31% from three this year as he's tried to find a consistent role, health and shot selection relatively early into his continued acclimation to his new team. Saturday amazingly marked only his 35th Grizzlies game after Memphis effectively shut him and others down to end last year. With time, a newborn son and a championship he found himself celebrating from afar, Smart still felt the mixed emotions he expressed in the aftermath of the shocking trade that sent him away and set a title in motion. He still wishes Boston gave him a heads-up. 

"I still look at it the way that I looked at it when it happened," Smart said. "It was a great trade, business-wise. I just wish they would've went about it a little bit differently, just letting me know. That way I wasn't just blindsided, and I could've prepared for it and got my family ready, but business-wise, it's a great business move. I would've made the move and I think anybody probably would have. So you tip your cap off to those guys. I'm very happy for them. I'm proud that they were able to go and win it. Like I've said before, I've been on the court with those guys, I put the work in with those guys, so I know what they sacrificed and I'm proud to finally see those guys getting what they deserved (from) the hard work that they put in." 

Tatum and Smart joked going into the game that they would probably tackle the s*** out of each other. Jaylen Brown praised Smart as the ultimate Celtic while Joe Mazzulla spent time recently acknowledging the efforts of Celtics who helped build but weren't ultimately part of the team that won it all in 2024. Derrick White ascended to new heights as a starter, Tatum and Brown became the undisputed voices of the team, the latter directly mentioning Smart's departure as an inspiration to become more outspoken last year. Now Brown can't stop talking, drawing a fine and technical for his audacious on-court displays in recent games. There weren't any fireworks on the court on Saturday though, Smart trying to draw a charge at mid-court on Tatum at one point and drawing the Kristaps Porziņģis at points in ways that should've reminded fans of one of Smart's signature moments guarding the former Knicks big. Porziņģis initially expressed feeling some pressure having arrived in a trade that created such an emotional response sending out a fan favorite. 

Grant Williams laid a hard foul on Tatum in one of their first meetings since his departure. He tore his ACL earlier this month. Robert Williams III has shown flashes of his former greatness while going in and out of the lineup in Portland. Malcolm Brogdon is on the NBA's worst team in Washington, and has made the best of it after an early season injury, nearly scoring revenge with a big game against Boston weeks ago before acknowledging that he's made peace over what he also called a good move by the Celtics. Smart's departure hit differently though. As divisive as he proved at times in a Celtics uniform, the move sent a shock that showed when he returned last season to a massive welcome back featuring a pre-game press conference, a video tribute that stretched over one minute and the team's cheerleaders lined up on the floor as he walked off after the game. 

Smart's ability to contend, or even stay, on his new team wasn't certain at the time in February. Morant, Bane, Jackson and Clarke were all hurt too. The Grizzlies started Jacob Gilyard, GG Jackson, Luke Kennard, David Roddy and Trey Jemison that night with Matthew Hurt, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Tosan Evbuomwan off the bench. The Celtics won by 40 points. Yet a rejuvenated Morant returned and arrived at the Garden reverse dunking on the Celtics. Jackson looked evolved as a scorer, dumping in floater after floater. Clarke levitated behind the Celtics' drop defense for alley-oop finishes. The Grizzlies looked fast, athletic, versatile and dangerous, winning their eighth game over their last nine. 

And while Smart didn't seem thrilled about a slow offensive night where he sat late, leaving quickly after the game to join family ahead of a back-to-back in Washington, Brad Stevens' hope that Smart would end up in a positive situation came to fruition. Smart realized that, at 30, he can still win at a level his other departed teammates can't. Saturday showed he might a chance to contend with Boston for the championship one year after the one he feels some sadness having missed.  

"Anything new is always at the beginning sort of stressful trying to figure it out," he said that morning. "But the challenge and the journey of trying to figure it out is always a great part of it. So it's been fun, it's been great. This group right here is different than the one in Boston. A little bit younger, a little more personality with the guys that you're probably not used to, and like I said, it just makes it more fun for you to get a different taste of life from a different group of guys." 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Boston (19-5): Did not reach the NBA Cup despite the Knicks building a 37-point lead over the Magic in the third quarter, the margin Boston needed if New York was going to win the game the Celtics needed Orlando to claim by any margin. The Magic cut their deficit to 15 by the end of the night, eliminating the Celtics, who only slipped up by one point against the Hawks. Sam Hauser said the team made winning the Cup a goal before the season, while Joe Mazzulla never sounded fully intrigued by the tournament, saying at one point that he wishes it was separate from the regular season. Now, Boston will play the Pistons, who they just beat on Wednesday, next Thursday after four days off. They'll travel to Washington for the third time in three months to play the Wizards next Sunday instead of Vegas. The NBA fined Jaylen Brown $25K for his throat-cutting gesture after a big dunk. 

Cleveland (21-3): Stayed in first in the east and affirmed their start by beating the Celtics and Nuggets this week following a three-game defensive stumble. They're now back in the top-10 of NBA defenses alongside their third-ranked offense that trails only Boston and New York. Against a Celtics team missing Derrick White and Jaylen Brown on Sunday, they overcame a 14-point second-half deficit behind Donovan Mitchell's 20 points in the fourth quarter. Darius Garland stopped Jayson Tatum twice inside in an overall effective day for him switching onto Boston's star. Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert returned to the lineup after missing the first game against Boston, while Georges Niang hit all three three-pointers he attempted. Mitchell trails only Michael Jordan in all-time scoring average against Boston. Cleveland's offense puts them among the serious NBA contenders.

Dallas (16-8): Winners of sevens straight entering Tuesday's NBA Cup quarterfinal at Oklahoma City, a playoff rematch and potential preview of a matchup this spring that could decide who the Celtics see in the Finals. Luka Dončić averaged 36.5 PPG in his first two games back from injury before back-to-back triple doubles in wins at Washington and Toronto. Kyrie Irving is shooting 50% from the field and 47% from three this season, while Klay Thompson's stuck below 40% from the field and only shooting 36.6% from three despite the gravity of his two star teammates. One executive told ESPN that Derrick Jones Jr. was a better fit for Dallas. Jason Kidd didn't like the team's recent schedule, despite wins in 11 of their last 15. They rank fourth in offense and eighth in defense. 

Denver (11-10): Followed their loss at Cleveland with a startling 122-113 setback in Washington against a Wizards team that had lost 15 straight prior. Nikola Jokić, the MVP favorite despite Denver's struggles, scored 56 points in 39 minutes alongside 16 rebounds and eight assists on 22-for-38 shooting. He leads the league as a 50.6% three-point shooter. Now, averaging a triple-double for the season, Jokić is carrying the weight of an entire franchise, Jamal Murray in-and-out, Aaron Gordon still missing and seemingly no external help on the way. This season is starting to look like one of the all-time lost opportunities for a team whose star is playing at as high of a level as anyone ever has before. 

Detroit (10-15): Scored 58 first-half points, reached 120 by the end of the night and still lost by 10 in a competitive road effort at Boston on Wednesday. Cade Cunningham scored 27 points with 14 assists, but turned the ball over too often to power the Celtics' offense in the other direction. Malik Beasley and Tobias Harris combined for 50 points, leading a three-point shooting attack that slashed Boston's 20-point lead to eight within minutes to begin the fourth quarter. It's one way they've been completely different to begin 2024-25, winning 10 games by the new year, which took until Mar. 7 in 2024. They shocked the Knicks to reach that mark on Saturday, Cunningham posting 29 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists. 

Golden State (13-9): Draymond Green accepted a benching in favor of Jonathan Kuminga, who scored 33 of the Warriors' 99 points in a win over the scorching Rockets while Green and Steph Curry sat. Curry returned with 23 points against the Wolves on Friday while Kuminga only managed 13 in a loss, Golden State dropping 6-of-7 as Steve Kerr searches for lineup stability. Shams Charania reported that the Warriors are searching for a star to pair with Curry ahead of February's trade deadline. Golden State visit Houston for the NBA Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday.  

“Of course, I’m OK with it,” Green said. “I have been one of [Kuminga’s] biggest fans since he’s been here. And so if he has an opportunity to start, you can’t be hypocritical, and [if] they’re like we want him to start, but it’ll be [up to] you, you can’t be like ‘ah, it’s not for me, that don’t work.’ I want to see him do well." 

Houston (15-8): The NBA fined Ime Udoka $50,000 for his ejection, failure to leave the court in a timely manner and an epic post-game rant after the Rockets lost to the Kings on Tuesday. Houston beat the Thunder two days earlier to move within 0.5 games of the top seed in the west, trailing only Oklahoma City in defense after Udoka's system solidified a young core on the verge of making a statement similar to the one the Pacers made last year in the NBA Cup. They'll have to beat a Warriors team that shut them down on Friday. 

Indiana (10-14): Got back on track after a four-game losing streak that led Tyrese Haliburton to call out his own and the Pacers' struggles to begin what's been one of the league's greatest regressions over last year. Haliburton and Pascal Siakam scored 44 points combined to sneak by the Bulls on Friday, a team they surprisingly trailed in the standings. 

"We haven’t won a road game in over a month. I think as a group, I’ve got to be better," Haliburton said prior to that win. "I think it’s testing us right now. I can’t really give you a ton of positives. Maybe that’s a negative way of viewing it right now. I just feel like as a group we can get better in every aspect. The great thing is there are 82 games and we have about 60 more games to figure it out, but there’s got to be a sense of urgency. You can only say that so many times. As a group, I think we’ve got a lot of growing up to do. If we don’t do that, the league is going to (pause). There are times like right now where the league could either bury you or you can dig yourself out of a hole.”

Clippers (14-10): A Kawhi Leonard season debut feels imminent as visuals of his workouts and reactions by teammates grew more plentiful over the past week alongside Bill Simmons hearing that the Clippers star will return before Christmas. Norman Powell returned from a six-game absence with 28 points in back-to-back games, expanded opportunity continuing to allow him to thrive with Leonard out and Paul George gone. James Harden has handled the larger workload admirably too, and the Clippers are in position to compete atop the West if Leonard resumes his productivity from last regular season. 

Lakers (12-11): Losers of three straight, including a 41-point thrashing at the hands of the Heat that left JJ Redick in his first crisis of sorts as Lakers head coach. LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for 77 points and LA still lost at Atlanta in overtime. It marked their second loss over their past eight games while they've been blown out in four others, defense a massive issue to begin Redick's tenure with only the Jazz, Bulls, Pelicans and Wizards ranking lower on that side of the ball to begin the year. 

Memphis (16-8): Ja Morant threw down one of the dunks of the season as the Grizzlies led for much of their road win over the Celtics, Morant finishing with 32 points, nine rebounds and nine assists on 11-of-20 shooting. Jaren Jackson's isolation game devastated Boston in a full fourth-quarter effort, adding 27 points on 11-of-19 shooting to his three steals and four blocks. Brandon Clarke's back line activity broke the Celtics' defense along with pace, spacing and two late Desmond Bane baskets sealed the deal in a strange game highlighted by a bold strategy to play away from Jrue Holiday on defense. Holiday took 17 threes and only made four, handing Memphis a signature win in a Taylor Jenkins coaching masterclass that included going away from Marcus Smart in his closing lineup after a 1-of-11 start in his first game against his former Celtics. 

Miami (11-10): Jimmy Butler returned for wins over the Lakers and Suns after Miami fell 108-89 without him in Boston in about as uncompetitive of an effort as we've seen from an Erik Spoelstra team against Boston. Bam Adebayo fell to 43% from the field for the season in what's been a step back season for him as a scorer so far when they've needed him to take a step forward. Terry Rozier, remaining on the bench in favor of Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro, looked like a shell of his former self in the loss on Monday. Worse, Drew Peterson, a former Miami training camp invite, added seven points and seven rebounds off Boston's bench in only his second extended action as a Celtic two-way call up. 

Milwaukee (11-11): Won seven straight before losses to Atlanta and Boston, the latter securing a season sweep for the Celtics for the first time since 2012 over the Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 34 PPG across the three losses, but launched a shocking three trailing by only one point with 95 seconds remaining after only attempting 14 threes all year prior and making three. Khris Middleton made his season debut after two offseason ankle surgeries, looking like himself early before finishing 2-of-10 in 23 minutes. Damian Lillard and Antetokounmpo combined 61 points and the Bucks still lost, Jaylen Brown getting in Antetokounmpo's face and picking up a technical after the Bucks star elbowed him. Doc Rivers, who stressed that the team still has to improve more, believes they'll be in the mix later this season after their season series with Boston strangely ended before 2025.

“They kept playing, and I thought we settled. It’s night and day, the difference between the two teams," Rivers said. "They’re a made team. They’ve been through it. They’ve been through the war together. They understand it, and they play that way. They have the ultimate trust. They’ll pass until there’s one second on the clock to try to find someone. They did that a couple of times and that’s why they are what they are. That wasn’t them two years ago, and it is them now. That’s what makes them the champions.”

Minnesota (12-10): Won four straight after Anthony Edwards' pointed comments about the team's culture to begin this year, most encouragingly powered by defense reminiscent of their top-ranked unit from last year. The Wolves held their last four opponents to fewer than 93 points, the first team to accomplish that since the 2021 Grizzlies. The Wolves hadn't done so since 2008. Edwards praised the team after a 107-90 win over the Warriors. 

“Everyone is guarding at a high level but Jaden (McDaniels) and Rudy (Gobert) is being the anchors that we need them to be. I think that's the main thing." he said ."Naz (Reid) and Julius (Randle) is f***ing playing defense. I've never seen them play defense before. That's f***ing incredible, and he's right here, put the camera on him. He be guarding his a** off." 

New Orleans (5-19): Brandon Ingram fell with a left ankle injury to begin the second half of an eventual loss to the Thunder that kept the Pelicans in the basement. New Orleans ranks 29th in offense and 29th in defense in what's quickly becoming not only a lost season, but one that'll have them answering difficult questions about this core's ability to play together beyond this year. The Pelicans will either trade or extend Ingram, New Orleans hoping to keep him for $40-million per season in an extension, before the deadline.

New York (14-9): Clinched a home date in the NBA Cup quarterfinals against 2021 rivals Trae Young and the Hawks, a fun matchup that nearly included the Celtics if the Knicks beat the Magic by 37+ on Tuesday to vault Boston ahead of Orlando in scoring margin. The Knicks reached that advantage in the third quarter before the Magic closed the gap in their eventual loss. Precious Achiuwa returned from his hamstring injury to log most of the minutes at center with Karl-Anthony Towns out on Saturday, grabbing 10 boards. 

Orlando (16-9): Franz Wagner suffered a torn right oblique during his 30-point performance in a loss to the Sixers and will be evaluated in four weeks. The injury, not common, already fell on co-star Paolo Banchero on Oct. 30, which is expected to sideline him for most of this month as his recovery continued. Wagner had thrived in Banchero's absence, keeping a mediocre Magic offense afloat with 26.1 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 6.1 APG on 45.7% shooting over his last 20 games. The Magic host the Celtics in two weeks in Orlando, which could feature an Orlando team missing both of their stars. The Magic will rely on defense and Jalen Suggs to carry them into the new year in a manageable east. 

Philadelphia (6-15): Upgraded Joel Embiid to questionable against the Bulls after his knee swelling, which caused him to miss the team's last seven games, reduced enough for him to return to on-court work. Paul George scored 21 points with nine assists to lead the Sixers back into the win column, a rarity this year ahead of a four-game break that'll follow Sunday afternoon's game with Philadelphia out of the NBA Cup. They'll play again on Friday against the Pacers, leaving plenty of time for rest, recovery, practice and a potential reuniting of the team's big three at full health later in the week to turn a so far disastrous season around. 

Phoenix (12-10): Will play the Nets in Macao, China in October for a pair of preseason games, the first NBA games in the country since a fraying of relations following Daryl Morey's tweet in support of Hong Kong. China temporarily removed games from its state TV and slashed sponsorships, leading to a years-long effort by the league to repair relations. The Suns, losers of 7-of-10, lost Kevin Durant (ankle) and Jusuf Nurkic (thigh) for at least a week while Ryan Dunn missed the last two games with an ankle injury.