Players were only eligible for the award if they played at least 24 minutes per game and in at least 58 games this season. The top five finishers for the award were Smart, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith, New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson and New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones. The award is derived from the hustle stats tracked on NBA.com, including deflections, loose balls recovered, charges drawn, screen assists, contested shots and box-outs, which the league has tracked since the 2016-17 postseason. The NBA announced Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart as the winner of the 2022-23 Hustle Award, making him the first player to win the award two years in a row and giving it to him for the third time in the seven years it has existed. But those plays were key to Boston finishing with the second-best record in the NBA (57-25) and helped Smart earn his third career NBA Hustle Award.You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĬeltics guard Marcus Smart wins third NBA Hustle Award His energy plays, the sacrifices he makes for his teammates, the all-out effort in which he competes may not appear in the traditional box score. But those numbers don’t come close to measuring Smart’s impact on the game for the Celtics. In his ninth NBA season, Smart finished the regular season with averages of 11.5 points, a career-best 6.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game and a career-best six double-doubles. Smart uses all of his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame to help free up his teammates for open looks, helping Boston finish tied for fourth in efficiency in pick-and-roll ball handler plays at 0.96 points per possession. Smart ranked 37th overall and second among guards (trailing only teammate Jayson Tatum) in screen assists per game. The willingness to clear space in order for a teammate to secure a rebound for the team is a perfect example of a hustle play.Īnother hustle stat usually dominated by centers and power forwards are screen assists: screens that lead directly to a made shot by a teammate. Smart ranked 31st overall and first among guards in box outs per game as the Celtics secured the rebound on 96.5% of Smart’s box outs (even though Smart only secured the rebound 19.3% of the time on his box outs). Smart doesn’t just excel in hustle plays usually dominated by guards - he’s also ready to mix it up with the big men to battle for rebound position. This season, Marcus Smart ranked 14th in the NBA in loose balls recovered. Smart’s hustle on the defensive end of the court helped the Celtics finish the regular season ranked second in defensive efficiency, allowing 110.6 points per 100 possessions. Smart ranked 16th in deflections (2.6 per game) and 10th in steals (1.5 per game) this season. The same court vision and instincts that allow Smart to beat an opponent to the spot and draw a charge also help him read passing lanes and disrupt opposing offenses with deflections. Smart finished 10th in charges drawn per game, taking 11 total charges drawn in 61 games played. The charge not only earns his team a possession, it counts as a turnover for the opposing team and a personal foul for the charging player. He’s ready to step in front of a player driving full speed toward the basket and sacrifice his body to take a charge. Smart finished 14th in loose balls recovered per game this season. The 2021-22 Kia Defensive Player of the Year, Smart doesn’t hesitate to dive on the floor for a loose ball and securing those 50-50 balls are a key component to earning more possessions. Hustle Stats are measured on a per-minute basis to even the comparison among players that play varying amounts of minutes per game.Īs the rankings illustrate, Smart showcases hustle in every aspect of the game. Note : Rankings among the 147 eligible players that played a minimum of 58 games (70% of team total of 82) and at least 24 minutes per game. Marcus Smart’s hustle stats and rankings Category Hustle stats - including deflections, loose balls recovered, charges drawn, screen assists, contested shots and box-outs - have been tracked by the NBA since the 2016 postseason and can be viewed on an individual and team level on NBA.com/Stats. The NBA Hustle Award rewards players that make the effort plays that don’t often appear in the traditional box score but impact winning on a nightly basis. Smart has earned the annual honor for the second straight season and the third time in five seasons.Ī look at his impactful effort plays ➡️ /TraGOE0jyh Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart is the winner of the 2022-23 NBA Hustle Award.
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