When Danny Ainge took three guards on draft night, Celtics fans were confused and left to wonder what would come of it. Marcus Smart took on the Utah Summer League and showed those fans what this backcourt could do.
Marcus Smart came into the Utah Summer League with a chip on his shoulder. Hindered by an ankle injury for most of his rookie season, he went out to prove that he deserved to be a lottery pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Smart scored 26 in his first game versus the Utah Jazz, and after sitting out game two, he poured in 22 points versus the San Antonio Spurs.
While Smart's play was a welcome surprise, the guard play in the final game was also something to watch. New guard Terry Rozier played alongside Marcus Smart throughout the game, and an on-court connection could be seen. Smart is big enough at 6'4", 220 lbs. to play in the two guard slot while Rozier runs the point. Both Rozier and Smart had seven assists against the Spurs, and Rozier came off the bench to score 16 points, even knocking in two three-point shots.
Second year guard James Young had been talking about how much he had improved himself over the offseason, but his Summer League was anything but spectacular. After two abysmal shooting performances, Young left the game against the Spurs with a hip injury and did not return. The absence of Young gave another Celtics rookie an opportunity to shine.
R.J. Hunter out of Georgia State came in and showed off his shooting touch with 18 points, going a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the three-point line. Hunter is 6'6", and if utilized with Marcus Smart in the backcourt, the Celtics would have one of the biggest guard lineups in the league. Hunter also managed to go 6-for-6 from the charity stripe and helped give this Celtics team a real boost.
The Boston Celtics guards looked like a tandem that could grow together and become one of the best in the league, it might just take some time.