Smart tallied 12 points (4-13 FG, 3-7, 1-6 FT), seven rebounds, four assists and three steals across 32 minutes during Wednesday's home opener against Milwaukee.

EDGE Analysis

Smart got the nod along side Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown Wednesday since Gordon Hayward (ankle) is out for the season. For the time being, the 23-year-old will likely remain in the starting lineup as a defensive-minded player considering he averaged 1.6 steals last season.

Smart will draw the start for Wednesday's game against the Bucks, Celtics analyst Sean Grande reports.

EDGE Analysis

In the wake of Gordon Hayward's (ankle) injury, coach Brad Stevens has opted to insert Marcus Smart into the starting five next to Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown. He saw 35 minutes Tuesday and may need to continue hovering around that mark considering the team lost much of their depth over the offseason in favor of a more top-heavy roster.

Smart produced 12 points (5-16 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 4-4 FT), nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks from 35 minutes in Tuesday's 123-107 loss to the Cavaliers.

EDGE Analysis

After Gordon Hayward's horrific injury six minutes into the match-up, Smart was inserted into Hayward's wing spot and quickly posted a very Marcus-Smart-like outing. He missed is his first 8 shots, but played game altering defense while hoarding nine boards. With Hayward likely lost for the season and Marcus Morris (knee) out for the first week, expect Smart to see spot starts Thursday and Saturday. Regardless of who starts, Smart's minutes will certainly increase as Boston scrambles to recover from losing Hayward.

Smart will come off the bench in Tuesday's regular-season opener against Cleveland.

EDGE Analysis

As it stands, Jaylen Brown will get the nod in the starting lineup during the regular season. However, the two will likely see similar minutes, and with coach Brad Stevens known to tinker with his lineups, it's certainly possible Smart will move into the starting lineup at some point during the season.

Smart finished with 12 points (5-8 FG, 2-3 3Pt), six rebounds, two assists and two steals across 17 minutes during Monday's 113-96 win over the 76ers.

EDGE Analysis

Smart has played up to par through three preseason games. He's averaging 10.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals across only 17.0 minutes per contest. Though he'll probably come off the bench this season, he often provides good counting stats (especially steals), making him valuable in most fantasy formats.

Smart scored 11 points (4-6 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 1-2 Ft) while adding four rebounds, three assists and three steals in 20 minutes off the bench during Friday's preseason win over the 76ers.

EDGE Analysis

For now, Celtics coach Brad Stevens wants Smart on his second unit, and the fourth-year guard appears to be adjusting well to the role through the early part of the exhibition schedule. The fourth-year guard would likely see a reduction in his minutes from last season coming off the bench, but if he can improve his scoring efficiency, his overall production might even increase as the club's sixth man.

Smart will come off the bench for Monday's preseason opener against the Hornets, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald reports.

EDGE Analysis

In somewhat of a surprising move, Brad Stevens will roll with Jaylen Brown at the two, opting to keep the more-experienced Smart with the second unit. Stevens indicated that he wants Smart to act as the leader for that unit, but at this point it's unclear if this is the lineup he'll employ when the regular season rolls around. The Celtics are currently without Marcus Morris, who is away from the team while standing trial in Arizona for a 2015 assault charge.

Smart managed six points (2-7 FG, 2-5 3Pt), five rebounds, two assists and one steal over 25 minutes during Thursday's 135-102 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

EDGE Analysis

After a breakout Game 3 performance in which he poured in 27 points, Smart hit the skids in Games 4 and 5, shooting just 3-for-16 while averaging 7.0 points, 4.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals. His lackluster efforts helped doom a Celtics squad in desperate need of offense after Isaiah Thomas' exit from the series with a hip injury. Despite the disappointing conclusion to the season, Smart's defensive prowess was a definite plus this season, and he also averaged career highs in points (10.6), assists, (4.6) and steals (1.6) while draining a career-best 81.2 percent of his free-throw attempts.

Smart produced eight points (1-9 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 5-5 FT), six assists, one rebound and one steal across 40 minutes during a 112-99 loss to the Cavaliers on Tuesday.

EDGE Analysis

After a red hot Game 3, Smart somewhat predictably cooled off in a big way in the Game 4 loss, as he made just one field goal attempt. He is clearly going to get a ton of minutes with Isaiah Thomas (hip) out, so he could rebound for another big performance in Game 5. But with him, it's hard to predict.

Smart started Sunday's 111-108 win over the Cavaliers, finishing with 27 points (8-14 FG, 7-10 3Pt, 4-6 FT), seven assists, five rebounds, two steals and one block across 41 minutes.

EDGE Analysis

Smart, who slotted into the starting unit in the absence of Isaiah Thomas (hip), delivered a dynamic all-around performance to help spark a huge late comeback. He led the team in scoring, despite finishing fourth in shot attempts, thanks to a tremendous showing from beyond the arc. Smart will clearly play a huge role for the duration of the series if Sunday's effort is anything to go by, and he could continue exploiting an opposing backcourt that has struggled defensively at times.