🏀 Why Everyone Hates Marcus Smart: The Flop Artist Who Won DPOY
Marcus Smart presents one of basketball's great contradictions. He is a Defensive Player of the Year award winner — the first guard to win the award since Gary Payton in 1996 — and simultaneously the most prolific flopper in the modern NBA. Smart plays defense with genuine ferocity and then, multiple times per game, collapses to the floor as though he has been shot by a sniper. The two things should not be able to coexist, and yet Marcus Smart makes them work.
The Villain Resume
Smart's flopping is not subtle. It is theatrical, dramatic, and frequent. He has been fined multiple times by the NBA for flopping violations, and his lowlight reel of fake falls is extensive enough to fill a feature-length film. The flops are especially infuriating because they come from a player who is genuinely tough — Smart has thrown himself on the floor for legitimate loose balls, taken charges from players who outweigh him by 80 pounds, and played through injuries that would sideline lesser competitors. The real toughness makes the fake stuff that much more annoying.
During his time in Boston, Smart was involved in several controversial incidents. He once dove into the stands and shoved a fan during an Oklahoma State college game. In the NBA, he had multiple confrontations with opponents that resulted in ejections and suspensions. His intensity crosses the line from competitive to reckless with regularity.
Smart's shooting has also been a source of frustration. Despite being an inconsistent shooter for most of his career — with a career three-point percentage below 33 percent — Smart frequently took difficult, contested shots that analytics suggested he should not be taking. His shot selection was a constant source of debate in Boston, where fans appreciated his defense but winced every time he launched a pull-up three with 18 seconds on the shot clock.
The Defense
Smart's defensive impact is undeniable. He is one of the best perimeter defenders of his generation, capable of guarding positions one through four with equal effectiveness. His 2022 Defensive Player of the Year award was well-deserved. His toughness, leadership, and willingness to do the dirty work that does not show up in box scores make him invaluable to winning teams. The Celtics' 2024 championship was built on a defensive culture that Smart helped establish.
The Verdict
Marcus Smart is the villain you grudgingly respect. His flopping is obnoxious, his shot selection is questionable, and his on-court confrontations are unnecessary. But his defensive intensity is genuine, his toughness is real, and his impact on winning is measurable. Smart would be universally beloved if he simply stopped flopping — but he cannot or will not, and that refusal transforms a defensive savant into a divisive, infuriating figure. The DPOY who flops. Make it make sense. You cannot, and that is precisely why people hate Marcus Smart.
