NBA Draft

Marcus Smart: Intense, Confident and Ready To Lead

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Even though Oklahoma Stateโ€™s Marcus Smart isn’t currently being talked about as a top-three pick, as he would have been in last year’s draft, he remains confident that his name belongs among the class’ top prospects.

โ€œI love competition,โ€ Smart told Basketball Insiders while attending the NBAโ€™s 2014 Draft Combine. โ€œItโ€™s what makes me into the person I am. Iโ€™m a competitor and Iโ€™m a fierce competitor.โ€

Few who have watched Smartโ€™s game develop over the past two years at Oklahoma State would have questioned this, as his intensity and relentless approach when on the court are precisely what make him such a threat. At just 20 years old, Smart has already learned some valuable lessons about maintaining focus and remaining professional while under fire. Keep in mind, Smart was the player that got into that unfortunate incident with an opposing fan back in February in the midst of what ended up being a tumultuous sophomore season for Smart and the Cowboys. He did produce an impressive 18 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 4.8 APG, but his Cowboys weren’t as successful as anticipated, nonetheless.

Although the incident is certainly something he’ll have to talk about when meeting with teams at the combine, Smart willingly served his three-game suspension and accepted full responsibility for his actions prior to returning and closing his final stretch of college games with several well-rounded efforts.

โ€œ[Februaryโ€™s incident is] something that happened thatโ€™s in the past,โ€ Smart said. โ€œIโ€™m not proud of it, but Iโ€™m trying to move on from that. I got bigger and better things to look forward to in my life, and if Iโ€™m too busy looking in the past, how can I see whatโ€™s in front of me in the future?โ€

At just 6โ€™3.25, ย Smart may not be quite as tall as he was listed in college, but his freakish athleticism and 6โ€™9.35 wingspan are still comparable, if not better than the other point guards in the class. His size (227 pounds) and frame have garnered comparisons that range anywhere from Jarrett Jack to Dwyane Wade, but Smart might actually be a truer match to a bulkier and stronger version of what Russell Westbrook looked like when he left UCLA with questions about his both his shot and playmaking ability at the next level. Similar questions about whether heโ€™s a tweener that lacks enough natural playmaking ability to man the point in the NBA continue to circulate, but Smart actually credits his return for a second year as a reason why he believes he is ready for the challenge of leading a team in the NBA.

Open to playing anywhere, Smart has been in contact with the Raptors, Rockets, Lakers, Suns and Nuggets among others. Like most prospects, Smart simply revels at the opportunity to walk across the stage to be congratulated by NBA commissioner Adam Silver, but he acknowledges some teams may be better fits than others.

โ€œThe [Lakers are] interested,โ€ Smart said. โ€œIโ€™ve seen that. They found out a little bit more about me โ€“ not just as a player, but as a person. They were very interestedโ€ฆ I think it would be a good fit. Theyโ€™re looking for a point guard. Someone that can come in and man that team and take control, and you know thatโ€™s the type of person I am. Iโ€™m a leader, and I feel like it would be a perfect fit.โ€

Weโ€™ll have to wait until next Tuesdayโ€™s Draft Lottery to find out where particular teams will be slated to make selections (barring trades), but it is clear teams like the Lakers and Magic are likely to be in the market for a point guard come June 26. Both the Magic and Lakers appear to have interest in Dante Exum as well, meaning it could very well end up being a case where Smart goes to whichever team ends up with the later pick in the event both teams have him ranked behind the lesser-known international prospect.

We may not be certain where any of the top prospect may end up, but we can be certain Smart possesses the confidence within himself it takes to compete at the top level.

โ€œThatโ€™s the fun about going and becoming a draft pick,โ€ Smart said. โ€œThatโ€™s the whole fun behind it. You donโ€™t know where youโ€™re going, you donโ€™t know whoโ€™s picking where. It just keeps the anticipation upโ€ฆ This isnโ€™t supposed to be a stressful time. This is supposed to be a fun time. It only happens once, if youโ€™re lucky enough to get to this part of the combine to get to the draft. It only happens once, so you need to enjoy it.โ€

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Jeff Hawkins
Sports Editor

Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.

All posts by Jeff Hawkins
Author photo
Jeff Hawkins Sports Editor

Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.

All posts by Jeff Hawkins