Wizards' Marcus Smart: Posts well-rounded line in return

Smart (finger) submitted 17 points (6-11 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 1-3 FT), four rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block across 24 minutes in Saturday's 122-103 loss to the Knicks.

After resting in Friday's 120-105 loss to the Magic, Smart essentially filled in Saturday for Khris Middleton (ankles), who was given a maintenance day in the second leg of the Wizards' back-to-back set. Poor free-throw shooting aside, Smart came through with perhaps his best all-around showing of his 12 appearances with the Wizards, with his points, three-pointers, rebounds, steals and blocks totals either matching or surpassing his previous bests from the prior 11 contests. Despite Smart's excellent outing Saturday, extracting fantasy value from him over the final three weeks of the season could prove exceedingly difficult. In addition to likely seeing a slight dip in minutes when Middleton is available, Smart's playing time will presumably remain highly volatile as the Wizards prioritize younger options down the stretch in the midst of a non-contending season.