Sacramento Kings Cumulative Big Board – No. 7 Marcus Smart

Mar 14, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Marcus Smart (33) brings the ball up the court against the Baylor Bears in the second half during the second round of the Big 12 tournament at the Sprint Center. Oklahoma State defeated Baylor 74-72. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Smart
Point Guard, Oklahoma State
20 years old, Sophomore
6’3″, 227 lbs.

2013-14 Stats: 32.7 MPG, 18.0 PPG (42.2% FG, 72.8% FT, 29.9% 3FG), 5.9 RPG, 4.8 APG, 2.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 2.7 TOPG

Measurements: 6’9.25″ wingspan, 8’3″ standing reach, 33″ no step vert, 36″ max vert, 10.6% body fat

Cumulative Ranking: 7th | Bryant’s Ranking: 8th | Scott’s Ranking: 5th

Jan 27, 2014; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Marcus Smart (33) during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Lloyd Noble Center. Oklahoma won 88-76. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Smart: THE BREAKDOWN

Scott: Marcus Smart just looks the part of NBA player. He’s strong, he’s physical and his competitiveness may be unrivaled in this class. Smart is that big, strong point guard that teams crave, and he uses his strength to bully opponent on both ends. Obviously, he doesn’t come without warts — he doesn’t excel as a perimeter shooter and he’s had some well-documented temper problems. But in many ways he’d be a great fit for the Kings, especially if Rudy Gay returns and the team is forced to let Isaiah Thomas walk.

Bryant: The thing I love most about Smart though is that he fits with the Kings no matter what happens with Isaiah. If the Kings take Smart, it doesn’t mean Isaiah is gone, because Smart can guard SGs and play alongside Isaiah. If Isaiah leaves, Smart is also a very good fit alongside a shooter like Ben McLemore. He’s tall and strong enough to play both guard positions, is among the best defenders at his position and is an underappreciated passer (5.8 assists per 40 minutes and a 30.2% assist rate). Aside from his shooting woes, he’s everything the Kings need, and his selection wouldn’t dictate how the Kings handled Isaiah.

Scott: Are we concerned at all about his excitable nature on the court? The Kings are already in the process of shaping one talented player with some on-court behavior concerns. Personally, I think Smart’s troubles are overblown, but they are still there — namely the incident at Texas Tech with shoving a fan. While Michael Malone has done a great job of reaching his players, I still think the Kings lack that commanding veteran in the locker room to guide the young players. The talent of Smart is unquestioned, but does Sacramento want to risk adding more immaturity to the mix?

Bryant: I’m really not worried about it in the slightest. The incident with the fan was a bad one, but Smart kept his head down after that and was remarkably controlled. Teams rave about his leadership and maturity, and I have no doubt he could become a leader in an NBA lockerroom. I’d like the Kings to add veteran leadership, but Smart isn’t coming in with the same flags DeMarcus Cousins had after his one year at Kentucky. If Michael Malone is on board with a Smart selection, I trust the pick.

Scott: I agree. Truth is, he probably isn’t even in the discussion to be around at pick No. 8 without those character concerns. Certain guys just operate at another level when it comes to competing and striving to win. I think Smart is one of those guys, and he’s got the strength and game to go with it. He’ll be a guy I hope falls in the Kings lap on draft day.

A Royal Pain – Sacramento Kings Cumulative Big Board

15. Nik Stauskas – Shooting Guard, Michigan
14. Jusuf Nurkic – Center, Bosnia
13. Adreian Payne – Power Forward, Michigan State
12. Gary Harris – Guard, Michigan State
11. Doug McDermott – Forward, Creighton
10. Dario Saric – Forward, Croatia
9. James Young – Guard/Forward, Kentucky
8. Noah Vonleh – Power Forward, Indiana
7. Marcus Smart – Point Guard, Oklahoma State