Marcus Smart could have seethed. And maybe he did? A year after collecting 257 points in winning his first Defensive Player of the Year award, Smart’s name disappeared from the ballot. No first-place votes. No seconds. No votes at all. Jaren Jackson Jr. won it. “Congrats to him,” says Smart. “He’s been showing it all year.” Jimmy Butler got a vote. Alex Caruso got two. “I’m really just surprised D-White [Derrick White] didn’t get a vote,” says Smart. “But it is what it is.”
In a quiet moment in front of his locker Tuesday, Smart was diplomatic. He wasn’t a finalist for DPOY. Didn’t expect to be. He played 61 games, 10 fewer than last season. He had injuries. Personal issues. His defensive rating this season (111.7) was more than four points higher than last (107.1). In March, Smart called his defense “mediocre.”
“It’s tough to play all 82 games that way,” says Smart. “Along with injuries, that’s why the mediocrity comes in. But you know, you get to playoffs, it’s a whole different ballgame.”
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