Fred VanVleet on Marcus Smart fit
by Yutaofficial: Fred VanVleet
Fred VanVleet says Marcus Smart is an ultimate competitor and a gamer who always shows up in big moments. He recalls battling Marcus for years across Toronto and Boston, noting how that series against the Rockets and Lakers likely helped his case after he dropped six or seven threes in a single game. Since Fred saw him as a top guard prospect straight out of Oklahoma State, he knows the defensive intensity, basketball IQ, and will to win will serve the Houston Rockets well. Having been part of successful teams before, sharing that experience with the group is going to help everyone.
Transcript (en)
Fred, you've had a lot of battles with Marcus over the years, going back to when you were in Toronto and he was in Boston. What does he bring to this team, and how do you view that fit? Yeah, ultimate competitor, big-time players, a gamer, and he always shows up in big moments. We just had a little reunion for Kyle Lowry, and his name came up because we played him in the bubble, and he made some incredible plays in game seven. He made six threes or seven threes in a game five or something like that, game four. So, yeah, he's been around as long as I've been around. I remember him at Oklahoma State coming out of high school. He's always been one of the top guards in the nation. And so that series he had against us, I'm sure, helped his case. But the defensive intensity, the IQ, And just the will to win, I think, is going to serve our group very well. And he's been a part of some really good teams. So being able to share that experience with the rest of the group is going to help us.
