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Celtics' Smart: 'It's time for me to step up' on offense

John Geliebter / USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Smart is one of the key cogs in the Boston Celtics' defense, and now he's ready to make some noise on offense.

"My defense ... is one thing I don't have to worry about, my teammates don't have to worry about. But I think it's time for me to step up on the offensive end," Smart told NBA.com's Amanda Pflugrad.

Ahead of his third NBA campaign, the 6-foot-4 point guard has been toiling away this offseason in order to become a more well-rounded player.

"(I'm going to elevate my game by) becoming more aggressive, becoming more of an offensive threat," he continued. "I'm trying to improve in every aspect of my game, trying to become more of a second, third, or fourth option on the team in scoring, assists, and everything."

The 22-year-old averaged 9.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, three assists, and 1.5 steals in 27 minutes per outing in his sophomore year. He'll need to become a more efficient scorer, having made just 34.8 percent of his shots from the field and 25.3 percent from long range.

While he works on that, he also plans on boosting his level of play defensively. He earned seven All-Defensive votes this past season, and wants to eventually get the nod and be known as a hard-nosed defender whom opponents don't want covering them.

"When people hear my name, I want them to make the face and 'ugh' sound, like 'I don't want to play against this guy just because he goes so hard and I know it's going to be a long night,'" he said.

Smart is also "ecstatic" about having a more prominent role on the squad in 2016-17.

"It's a blessing, and I'm ready to step up. ... I'm ready for more responsibility, especially as a leader."

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