Smart can still be effective, but at this stage of his career he’s probably best suited for a bench role. He remains a strong defender, a vocal leader, and someone who helps set the tone on the defensive end. In many ways, he’s doing exactly what we hoped he would for us. However, we’re clearly missing AR’s offensive production, and that’s something Smart simply can’t replace. That’s not his game, and it’s not a knock on him. If anything, Smart feels like the successful version of what we hoped Gabe Vincent would be, providing those intangibles and defensive impact that Gabe was brought in to deliver but hasn’t.
Redick is only rocking heavy with 8 guys, (with 2 others on standby for emergencies) in the rotation for the playoffs. Smart is definitely going to be one of the rotation players.
