NBA Draft: Ranking the best players selected 6th overall since 1995

6) Marcus Smart: 2014 NBA Draft (Boston Celtics)

Marcus Smart has been an indispensable player on the Boston Celtics over the past six seasons. He anchors the Celtics’ defense and his heart and passion energized the team through playoff matchups every year since his rookie season.

Entering the 2014 NBA Draft, draft experts expected the Celtics to covet a big man with their pick. However, the team shocked some experts – and even Celtics homer Bill Simmons – by drafting Smart. Coming out of Oklahoma State, Smart was hailed as a hard-nosed defender with an offensive repertoire that required significant refining. The biggest question was how Smart would play alongside Rajon Rondo & the undersized Avery Bradley. The next question was whether Smart would develop a three-point shot so that teams wouldn’t pack the paint.

GM Danny Ainge quickly answered the first question by trading Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks. Rather than starting Smart, and anointing him as the franchise point guard, he instead acquired Isaiah Thomas in a trade deadline deal.

For most of his Celtics’ tenure, Smart came off the bench and played both guard positions. He originally served as Thomas’ backup and was Kyrie Irving’s backup for the 2017-18 season. After signing a 4-year, $52 million extension in 2018, Smart became the starting shooting guard for the bulk of the 2018-19 season. Smart became a more formidable three-point shooter, making 36% of his threes during the 18-19 campaign. While he wasn’t a lockdown shooter, he wasn’t an offensive liability.

Smart has become a great asset to the team during its long playoff runs. Whether it’s through his hard-nosed defensive plays or clutch three-point shots, his impact is invaluable to the team. Perhaps Danny Ainge made the right decision drafting Smart over bigs such as Julius Randle & Noah Vonleh. Maybe the Utah Jazz would like to draft Smart over Dante Exum, picked one slot ahead of the Celtics.