Originally published by LakersNation.com
The Los Angeles Lakers are limping toward the finish line of the 2025-26 season as several players like Marcus Smart have been out of the lineup due to injuries. Smart has been on the shelf for a couple of weeks as he nurses a nagging ankle injury, adding to the talent drain on the roster as Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are set to miss the remainder of the regular season and beyond.
With Smart out, the Lakers have been short on secondary ball-handling, playmaking and perimeter defense which should highlight how important he is to the team. Head coach JJ Redick previously announced that Smart is nearing a return to the court and it appears that could be at some point this week.
“He’s progressing well,” Redick said before Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. “We thought that he’s be back by now. It’s not that he had a setback last week, but he was doing on-court work and he wanted to dial it back. So he had a great day today on the court, trending towards playing at some point this week.”
The Lakers can definitely use all the help they can get, so it’s encouraging that Smart suffered no setbacks in his return to play process. Without Doncic, Reaves or Smart available, Redick has been forced to turn to Luke Kennard to act as the team’s lead ball-handler and playmaker. Kennard has performed admirably in the new role, but he would be best served going back to being a spacing threat.
Even with Smart returning, though, Los Angeles will be at a severe disadvantage in the postseason no matter who their opponent is. The Lakers can finish no worse than fifth in the Western Conference standings due to their tiebreakers, but they’ll still enter the first round as underdogs.
L.A. is clinging on to dear hope that Doncic can return sooner than expected, but the reality is he might not make it given how deep into the postseason they’ll need to go. Smart’s pending return will help stabilize things a bit, but it’s hard to feel optimistic about their chances moving forward.
Marcus Smart’s leadership and impact on teammates
Smart was brought in this past summer for his defensive acumen, but he is also a major influence off the floor. Smart is respected in the locker room and able to hold stars like Doncic accountable, so Redick broke down how his leadership affects his teammates in a positive manner.
If you love our reporting, choose LakersNation.com as a preferred source on Google.
The Los Angeles Lakers are limping toward the finish line of the 2025-26 season as several players like Marcus Smart have been out of the lineup due to injuries. Smart has been on the shelf for a couple of weeks as he nurses a nagging ankle injury, adding to the talent drain on the roster as Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are set to miss the remainder of the regular season and beyond.
With Smart out, the Lakers have been short on secondary ball-handling, playmaking and perimeter defense which should highlight how important he is to the team. Head coach JJ Redick previously announced that Smart is nearing a return to the court and it appears that could be at some point this week.
“He’s progressing well,” Redick said before Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. “We thought that he’s be back by now. It’s not that he had a setback last week, but he was doing on-court work and he wanted to dial it back. So he had a great day today on the court, trending towards playing at some point this week.”
The Lakers can definitely use all the help they can get, so it’s encouraging that Smart suffered no setbacks in his return to play process. Without Doncic, Reaves or Smart available, Redick has been forced to turn to Luke Kennard to act as the team’s lead ball-handler and playmaker. Kennard has performed admirably in the new role, but he would be best served going back to being a spacing threat.
Even with Smart returning, though, Los Angeles will be at a severe disadvantage in the postseason no matter who their opponent is. The Lakers can finish no worse than fifth in the Western Conference standings due to their tiebreakers, but they’ll still enter the first round as underdogs.
L.A. is clinging on to dear hope that Doncic can return sooner than expected, but the reality is he might not make it given how deep into the postseason they’ll need to go. Smart’s pending return will help stabilize things a bit, but it’s hard to feel optimistic about their chances moving forward.
Marcus Smart’s leadership and impact on teammates
Smart was brought in this past summer for his defensive acumen, but he is also a major influence off the floor. Smart is respected in the locker room and able to hold stars like Doncic accountable, so Redick broke down how his leadership affects his teammates in a positive manner.
If you love our reporting, choose LakersNation.com as a preferred source on Google.
