Celtics

Why Dwyane Wade thinks Marcus Smart should be Defensive Player of the Year

"He's fearless."

Dwyane Wade endorsed Marcus Smart for Defensive Player of the Year. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

March 4, 2020

Marcus Smart’s block on Brooklyn’s 6-foot-11 center Jarrett Allen during Tuesday’s loss earned him more than some highlight tape – he also got a Defensive Player of the Year endorsement from 13-time NBA All-Star Dwyane Wade.

“Listen, I know that this award is normally a big man’s award […] but this year, we need to get back to the Gary Paytons of the world, the Michael Jordans of the world, where guards get the Defensive Player of the Year award,” Wade said on the TNT broadcast.

“What Marcus Smart has done, I mean you saw him tonight when he met [Allen] at the rim, I mean he’s fearless. And it’s not just the blocks, it’s the hustle. It’s the diving on the floor for the ball, it’s the switching one through five that the guy does. So I think he deserves more credit.”