BOSTON -- It’s not that hard to find a player or two on the Celtics’ roster that’s universally viewed as being better than Marcus Smart.

But when it comes to leadership, it's not even close.

Smart is indeed the smart choice when it comes to looking for leadership on this Celtics team.

And that leadership needs to be more than just talked about and embraced by his teammates.

It needs to become official; and by official, I mean Smart being named a team captain.

Arguably the most storied franchise in NBA history, the Celtics have not had a team captain since Rajon Rondo in 2014 - the longest stretch without a captain in franchise history.

Only 18 players in franchise history have been bestowed with the title.

There are few if any greater individual honors around these parts than to be named a team captain of the Celtics.

And the irony of that is the reason Smart deserves such an amazing individual honor is because of what he means to the team.

Coach Brad Stevens has opted to go with a captain-less team, rationalizing it as wanting all the players to feel as though they have a voice in the direction of the team.

While the premise is a good one and does make sense, naming a captain seems a logical next step for a franchise coming off a season when among the most talked-about issues was the team’s lack of leadership.

And now it’s a lot easier to go with Smart as the captain with both Al Horford and Kyrie Irving off to Philly and Brooklyn.

Throw in the fact that the Smart, 25, is the longest-tenured Celtic and will be going into the second year of the four-year, $52 million deal, and all signs point towards Smart being named a captain sooner rather than later.

Captain or not, Smart will find a way to put his imprint on games defensively while also making timely shots and setting up teammates with a much-improved game as a playmaker.

But what will set Smart apart from his teammates this season is what happens inside the locker room or off the floor when the lights, cameras and action of the NBA are nowhere to be found.

Smart will be the first to tell you he is a flawed player and will make mistakes at both ends of the floor this season.

Still, what often separates Smart from others, are the lessons learned from those miscues and how he uses them to make himself and those around him, better players.

That’s leadership, the kind that you expect from your captain, which is a title Marcus Smart deserves to call his own this season.

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