Why is Marcus Smart such a good defender? How good is Marcus Smart?

Marcus Smart had success on the defensive end because of his flexibility. Smart was named the 2021–22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year on April 18, 2022, the first guard to win the award since Gary Payton won it in 1996.

Marcus Smart is very good. He ranks 10th in the NBA in assists per game (7.4) despite ranking 134th in usage rate. Marcus Osmond Smart was born in Flower Mound, Texas.

Marcus Smart attended Edward S. Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas. In his high school career, Marcus Smart achieved a record of 115–6 through three seasons and was a two-time 5A state champion.

Marcus Smart is considered a five-star recruit by ESPN.com and was listed as the No. 1 shooting guard and the No. 10 player in the nation in 2012.

On December 25, 2016, Marcus Smart scored 15 points and made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 47 seconds left to help the Celtics claim a 119–114 win over the New York Knicks.

Following the 2017-19 season, Marcus Smart was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the second time.