The Boston Celtics got much better in Thursday’s NBA Draft when they selected Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart with the No. 6 overall pick. While it is a great pick for Boston, does the pick mean the end of Rajon Rondo or will the two play together?
Head coach Brad Stevens believes that the pick was made with the assumption that the two guards could play in harmony and are a part of the future on Boston.
"I don't think there's any doubt, I think they can play together," Stevens said. "I think it will be great for Marcus to have a guy like Rondo to look up to, to learn from. Not many guys get that opportunity, especially early on in the draft like this. Marcus is another guy that I was thrilled that he was there at 6, because physically he's ready to play and he competes every single minute of every single day.”
Stevens’ thought process is that the competition will bring out the best in both players and that Smart’s passion will benefit everyone.
“That will do nothing but help your team, regardless of what position he's playing. I expect him to play some off the ball, I expect him to play some with the ball. But he's a young guy. He's going to be playing with a guy there that's been in the league for a long time, that can really help him learn about it. I think it's great. I think it'll be great for both of them.”
It is unknown what the Celtics plan to do with Rondo now that they have Smart, but this move gives Boston all the leverage if it comes to trade talks. The Celtics have many options when it comes to who they believe gives them the best chance to win come next season. Taking into account how the 2014-15’ season goes, Boston could find themselves with a huge trade chip in Rondo or a set of guards that set them up for success for years to come.
[ESPN]
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