NBA Roundup: Celtics Performing Better when Smart Shoots … Poorly?

With college football wrapping up and college basketball season in full swing, it’s time to start keeping an eye on how former Cowboy hoopers are doing in the NBA.

Marcus Smart

Despite not starting, Smart is fourth on the team in minutes per game. Smart is well known as a defensive dog and a solid team player. Of course, he’s also not a great shooter. It’s no secret either.

Suns defense ? pic.twitter.com/PIWEM5pEje

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 2, 2017

And he’s actually shooting worse this year than normal, hitting only 32 percent from the floor, and 30 percent from three.

However, it’s the other things he does, that don’t always show up on the stat sheet that make him such a great player, and an important part of the Celtics’ roster. If you haven’t read this fantastic article about why the Celtics are better with Smart on the floor despite his poor shooting numbers, you really should.

Consider this: When Smart shoots 30 percent or worse from the field in a game this season, the Celtics are 11-0. When he shoots better than 30 percent, Boston is a mere 5-4. While more pronounced this season, this does not appear to be happenstance. Smart’s career winning percentage in games he shoots sub-30 percent is .641. That winning percentage drops to .598 in games he shoots better than 30 percent.

Observers find it difficult to offer an explanation other than this: On nights that Smart struggles with his shot, he tries so hard to impact the game in other ways that it more than offsets his shooting woes. [ESPN]

Last week, the Celts went 2-1, and Smart had 23-3-6 against Detroit (a loss) and 13-4-7 in a win over Phoenix.

Tony Allen

The former Celtic and Grizzlie is in his first season in New Orleans this year. He missed a few games early on but has been making a solid contribution off the bench for the Pelicans.

New Orleans is 11-11 on the season, with Allen averaging 4.9 points and 2.4 rebounds a game. The 13-year NBA vet’s best days are behind him, but he’s still making a solid contribution, bringing his signature grit-and-grind defense to the team.

By the way, if you haven’t read it yet, this SLAM feature on about Allen is awesome.

*Side note, Tony Allen is still my favorite Oklahoma State basketball player*

Jawun Evans

In his first season with the Clippers, Evans has appeared in 14 of 21 games. The Clippers have dealt with injuries at point guard giving Evans more opportunities to see the floor in a back-up role.

So far this season Evans is averaging 12.2 minutes per game, and making the most of them. For the season, he’s shooting 36.4 percent, but in the last five games he’s shooting 40 percent. At least one Clippers blog believes Evans has the chance to not only be a star, but the face of the team.

In a few years, when Evans is say, 25, don’t be surprised if he has taken over the team. He and Blake Griffin together could be the next-best-thing to the Paul-Griffin duo, and there’s a very real chance that Evans could become an All-Star guard and the leader of the LA Clippers. [Clipperholics]

G-League

Two former Cowboys, Markel Brown and Michael Cobbins, are both playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder G-League affiliate, the OKC Blue. So far this season the Blue are 6-6, including 2-1 last week.

Strong defense from Cobbins and a game-high 21 points from Brown lead the Blue to victory! pic.twitter.com/A8DrsfS0pJ

— Oklahoma City Blue (@okcblue) November 4, 2017

Brown has played in seven of the Blue’s 12 games so far, starting in six. He’s averaging 16.6 points on 49 percent shooting, to go with 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

After missing five straight ganes last month, Brown returned to the starting lineup in the Blue’s three most recent match-ups. His best performance came Friday in a 100-82 win over the Salt Lake City Stars. He led the team with 21 points and added three rebounds and two assists.

Meanwhile, Michael Cobbins has started all 12 games for the Blue. He’s averaging 6.8 ppg on 62 percent shooting to go with 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals a game. Cobbins also had a big game against Salt Lake City on Friday, scoring 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting.