The Boston Celtics lost more than a veteran guard and former Defensive Player of the Year when they shipped Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Smart, the longest-tenured Celtic prior to Wednesday's blockbuster deal, has been the unquestioned leader in the locker room over the last several seasons. Widely considered the "heart and soul" of the team during his nine years in Boston, Smart set an example with his gritty play as well as his approach off the court.
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So who will fill Smart's leadership void next season and beyond? Former C's guard Eddie House weighed in on that topic during Thursday's "Early Edition."
"Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, obviously it should be their team. But when you talk about who was the leaders on the team, it wasn't the guys making the big bucks. It wasn't the guys putting the ball in the basket the most. It was Marcus Smart," House said.
"So to me, I think that's where it possibly can take a hit. But also, I think this is a great opportunity for Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to step up and say, 'Hey, this is our team. We are the leaders of this team.' And then lead from there. They've been young enough, now they're starting to get to that age where we need to see it a little bit more as far as their leadership and taking ownership and being out there night in and night out and making other teams follow them on a nightly basis."
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Brown and Tatum are entering their eighth and seventh seasons with the Celtics, respectively. That makes Brown the longest-tenured Celtic following Smart's departure.
Veteran big man Al Horford, who turned 37 earlier this month, remains with the team and will bring his usual leadership presence. But as House notes, Smart's exit presents a golden opportunity for Brown and Tatum to make the next step in their development. Performing like All-Stars won't be enough. They will be counted on to step up as vocal and emotional leaders as Smart did throughout his nine Celtics seasons.
As for how Smart's absence impacts the Celtics on the court, they're now down to Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, and Payton Pritchard at the guard position. The addition of Kristaps Porzingis will bolster the frontcourt while providing a consistent scoring threat alongside Brown and Tatum.