With Kristaps Porzingis in town, the Boston Celtics have a new starting center and a third star to pair with their elite wing duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. A consequence of the deal was losing Marcus Smart, who has been the team’s primary playmaker for the past two seasons.
In Smart’s first year as the Celtics’ full-time point guard, the team made a run to the NBA Finals and averaged a career-high 5.9 assists - a number he improved upon this past season, bringing it to 6.3.
And considering Boston’s lack of additional playmaking behind Smart was cited as a primary reason for their loss in the 2022 NBA Finals, losing him will have serious on-court ramifications.