BOSTON -- Doc Rivers has coached his share of defensive-minded guards.
And while Marcus Smart possesses many of those same traits, there's another guard that immediately came to mind when I asked him who Smart reminded him of prior to tonight’s game against Rivers and the Los Angeles Clippers.
"A better version of me; seriously," said Rivers who spent 13 seasons as an NBA player with most of that time spent with the Atlanta Hawks (1983-1991).
Rivers added, "He's a defensive-minded guard but he can score. That's the difference."
At first, one might think Rivers would draw a parallel between Smart and one of his former defensive-minded players like Tony Allen or even current Celtic Avery Bradley.
But the comparison between Smart and himself actually makes a lot of sense.
Rivers was a second-round pick in the 1983 NBA draft in part because it wasn’t clear as to how whether he could score well enough at this level.
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And with his size, there was some concern as to whether he could be a true point guard as well.
Similar questions were raised surrounding Smart who left Oklahoma State after two seasons.
As Smart continues to learn the ins and outs of playing the point guard position, the one constant to his game – his defense – continues to be his greatest strength and arguably the biggest reason why he’s in the starting lineup.
"He's a really good defensive player," Rivers said. "On the ball, off the ball. Yet he's making plays offensively. I like him a lot."
Rivers said he didn't pay much attention to Smart leading up to last June's NBA draft, well aware that the point guard – taken with the No. 6 pick by Boston - would be long gone by the time it was the Clippers' turn to make a selection with the 28th overall pick.
But Rivers had a chance to see Smart play this summer and came away impressed.
“Watching him this summer … he’s gonna be good,” Rivers recalled thinking at the time.
