Celtics' Jayson Tatum Calls Grizzlies' Marcus Smart 'Best Defender in the League'

The Memphis Grizzlies are getting the "best defender" in the NBA, according to Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.

Speaking with Mark Giannotto of the Memphis Commercial Appeal at the FedEx St. Jude Championship pro-am golf tournament in Memphis this week, Tatum outlined what the Grizzlies are getting in the former Celtics star.

"They're getting a leader. They're getting a guy that's a winner. He's been to the playoffs every year. We've been to the Finals together, obviously. So he knows what it takes to get there," Tatum said. "Obviously he's extremely talented. Best defender in the league. Just a guy that you would love to have on your team."

The Celtics traded Smart to the Grizzlies this summer in the three-team deal that landed them Kristaps Porziņģis from the Washington Wizards.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said on SportsCenter in June (h/t MassLive's Lauren Campbell) that the Grizzlies targeted Smart for his postseason experience, leadership and grit:

"Marcus Smart had been a player the Grizzlies had targeted for obvious reasons. You see how he fits with that Grizzlies roster, bringing in his toughness, his experience in the postseason, his leadership—all elements that they really wanted in Memphis. ... Marcus Smart (is) a player Memphis sees, certainly, he can fill in for those 25 games without Ja Morant. Then, those are two players who can play together. And then Boston gets what they had wanted all along: Kristaps Porgingis along their front line. ... All of a sudden you've got something of a blockbuster here on the eve of the NBA draft."

The Celtics selected Smart sixth overall in the 2014 draft out of Oklahoma State and he quickly emerged as one of the best defenders in the NBA as he led Boston to nine straight postseason appearances during his tenure with the franchise from 2014-23.

The 29-year-old, who has been named to the All-Defensive Team three times in his nine seasons, became the first guard since Gary Payton in 1995-96 to win the Defensive Player of the Year award when he took home the honor during the 2021-22 campaign.

Smart also took home the NBA Hustle Award in 2021-22 and held onto that crown in 2022-23, becoming the first player to earn the honor in consecutive seasons since its inception in 2016-17.

During the 2022-23 season, Smart averaged 0.18 charges drawn per game, 0.8 loose balls recovered per game, 2.6 deflections per game, 1.0 box outs per game and 4.2 contested shots per game.

But while he has been a solid defensive contributor, he has also developed his offensive game over the last four seasons. He averaged 11.5 points and 6.3 assists in 61 games last season while shooting 41.5 percent from the floor and 33.6 percent from deep.

The Grizzlies are getting a very solid player in Smart to go alongside Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, and he should play a vital role in getting Memphis back to the postseason in 2023-24.