MADRID — As the Celtics neared the end of another intense practice this week in Milan, two of the team's fiercest competitors were locking horns, mostly because they know no other way.
Marcus Smart was on defense and Isaiah Thomas was on offense, but Smart had the ball and the five-on-five scrimmage could not continue until he gave it to Thomas. So, like an older brother might do when he is trying to be a pest, Smart placed it on the floor in front of Thomas and gently rolled it to him. After a few minutes, Smart fouled Thomas as he drove toward the basket. Coach Brad Stevens called the foul, stopping play, and as Thomas walked back toward the top of the key, he had a message for Smart that was loud enough for all to hear.
"He can't guard me," Thomas said.
Smart, in the G-rated version, then told Thomas to be quiet. Moments later, Thomas drove through the lane and fed rookie guard Terry Rozier, who fired a pass to Avery Bradley on the perimeter. Thomas, it seemed, sensed a victory in this brief duel.
"That's your shot, Avery!" he said before Bradley had even taken the shot. Bradley pump-faked and drilled a 15-footer. "That's your shot, boy!" Thomas continued, slapping him five with some gusto.
None of the interaction between Thomas and Smart was personal, none of it was a distraction, and none of it was even uncomfortable for the others on the floor. But the moments offered a window into the ultra-competitiveness of these two, and what it might mean for the rest of the team. They have bumped and bopped each other numerous times the past week, their physical matchups often setting the tone for an entire session.
"They can get each other revved up," Stevens said later, "and that's a good thing." Although Smart and Thomas are the most vocal, Bradley and Rozier are similarly aggressive but quieter — Bradley because that is how he prefers to be, and Rozier because he is still finding his voice as a rookie. Still, they are a part of the go-get-it rhythm, too.
"I think that our guard tandems have been really, really competitive and I love that," Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said. "With Marcus and Avery and Isaiah and Rozier, I think it's been really competitive, and all four have looked really good. They're really competing against one another. It's going to be a benefit."
These guards will not tower over opposing backcourts this season and none are considered elite long-range shooters. So perhaps these identities have evolved out of necessity. These players are strong and fierce and relentless, and there is a belief that those traits could form the backbone of this team.
"I feel like we definitely have pushed each other," Bradley said. "Isaiah and Marcus and Terry, we're just tough guards, man. I think we're all like little pitbulls, and I feel like it makes our team tougher. When everyone in the backcourt has that mind-set, people feed off it, including our bigs."
The dynamic between Smart and Thomas is the most fascinating. The 5-foot-9-inch Thomas is known more for his offense and the 6-4 Smart is known more for his defense. And both are known as ruthless competitors who hate losing, even in inconsequential matchups that occur at the end of a preseason practice. In the end, they know they can help each other. They share common goals.
"I'm ecstatic about having the chance to go against those guys every day," Smart said. "It only helps us. We're getting better every day. We complement each other in so many ways, and we're all different, so having that ability to go against these guys is incredible."
For Rozier, the rookie from Louisville, the trial-by-fire has had value. He said he already has learned so much from the other guards over the past two weeks, like how they direct the ball when they are on defense, how they can make an inexperienced opponent shift toward the direction that they choose.
"You've got to be tough, or these guys are going to take advantage," Rozier said. "You've got to find a way to pick your spots and get your stops. You have no choice but to be tough out there."
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