Celtics' Marcus Smart Responds to Bam Adebayo DPOY Claim: We 'Both Know That's a Lie'

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart doesn't think the voters got it wrong when he won the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year last season.

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo told Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks he "100 percent" should've been the DPOY in each of the past two years. He argued he's a more versatile defender than Smart and has performed better than three-time winner Rudy Gobert in the playoffs:

Smart responded to the comments Wednesday on ESPN's NBA Today and said both he and Adebayo know that assertion was "a lie":

Adebayo was fourth in the DPOY voting in 2020-21 and 2021-22, and he might have to continue waiting to receive the accolade he believes he has earned. The two-time All-Star is +850 to be named Defensive Player of the Year at FanDuel, the third-best odds in the field.

If the current Eastern Conference standings hold, the Celtics and Heat would meet in the first round of the playoffs. Maybe Adebayo will at least be able to refute Smart's argument directly on the court.

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