For good reason, the fresh additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday have dominated preseason discussion about the Celtics. The C’s paid dearly for both difference-makers as they dramatically changed their core this summer.
However, the Celtics clearly lost pieces of their leadership puzzle this season as a result of the trades of players like Grant Williams, Robert Williams III, Marcus Smart, and Malcolm Brogdon. It will be important to keep an eye on the leadership structure in the upcoming months. Notably, how the Celtics appear without Smart, their impassioned captain who frequently set the tone for the team.
In a piece by Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, he spoke to NBA scouts about their thoughts on the Celtics. Here’s the excerpt from an anonymous scout on the Smart aspect — namely, his leadership:
“I think Smart especially is a guy that holds some of those other guys accountable when maybe Jaylen (Brown) is dribbling too much or not moving the ball or Jayson (Tatum) is doing the same thing. He is a guy that can get on them. Or at least he had the clout, the voice to tell them. I think they’ll definitely miss that.
