Marcus Smart entered this stretch of his career focused on regaining his form after dealing with injuries during his time in Memphis and a brief stop in Washington at the end of the 2024/25 season, as detailed by Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
With the Los Angeles Lakers needing a reliable perimeter defender to take on top opposing scorers, Smart has quickly made an impact.
On Saturday, he delivered a strong performance with 21 points and five steals, while also playing a key role defensively by holding Jamal Murray to just five points on 1-of-14 shooting across 36 minutes.
Teammate Austin Reaves praised Smart’s intensity and effort, emphasizing how his approach sets the tone for the rest of the team.
“He competes every night,” Reaves told ESPN. “It’s not always pretty, but his competitive level’s going to be at an all-time high every single night. And you need guys like that.
“I think he’s the one that sets the example for us on the court to go out there and play as hard as we possibly can, because you know he’s going to do that. When he’s doing that, every single night flying around, it makes you be accountable to the effort that you bring.”
Lakers Notes: Luka, Reaves, LeBron, Smart, Ayton, Playoffs https://t.co/VG6ji8nZR7 pic.twitter.com/VdtLx4xWec
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) March 17, 2026
