Marcus Smart (Photo : Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno | Getty Images Sport)
Jimmy Butler (Photo : Reuters/Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports)
The Boston Celtics is one team that is expected to make a splash in the offseason.
However, the consensus is that they will likely make waves with trades rather than in free agency as Boston is not exactly a top free agent destination (and even Danny Ainge would admit that).
With their ton of assets and young players, how come the Celtics failed to get a superstar at the trade deadline? They were rumored to have pursued Jimmy Butler and probably DeMarcus Cousins and Al Horford but not of them materialized even though they made it clear that they had every intention of making a deep playoff run.
One of the criticisms about Boston Celtics fans which may or may not be accurate is that they tend to overvalue their players. This was even discussed in BBall Breakdown as the Celtics reportedly deemed some of their players as "untouchable." Their refusal to include Jae Crowder and/or Marcus Smart had the other teams tune out.
It should not come as a surprise that posts in the team site Celtics Blog include one bold claim: that Marcus Smart could be better than Jimmy Butler.
To be fair, the emphasis is on "could be." Smart should not be compared to Butler now, but in their evaluation, he has the skills to become better than the Chicago Bulls newly appointed superstar.
The context is that Smart should be part of the trade package that the Celtics would assemble if they decide to make a run for Butler again. The trade would center around the Brooklyn Nets' pick that the Celtics own. If the pick falls outside the top two (or even if it does), the Bulls would most likely ask for Smart-basically to replace Butler on their roster.
The contention is that Smart is a better player than Jimmy Butler was at age 22. Actually, the post cited that Smart had been better than Butler at almost every stage in their careers. Their college recruitment was placed under the radar, and Smart was a top recruit who chose Oklahoma State over UNC, Oklahoma and Texas. On the other hand, Butler only attended a junior college.
The comparison continued with Smart being a better college player even as Butler found his way to Marquette. On the subject of draft picks, the Celtics guard was a sixth overall pick and Butler was a steal as he was the 30th pick in the 2011 draft.
