The Los Angeles Lakers had two marquee preseason debuts against the Suns on Tuesday night, but it was easy to miss Marcus Smart. He played 20 forgettable minutes, during which he had zero points, one assist, and two personal fouls. Smart didn’t even take a shot, but the worst part was Jared Butler and Jordan Goodwin going off with the former Defensive Player of the Year doing little to shut them down.
Luka Doncic looked fantastic in his first preseason game. He had 25 points, seven rebounds, and four dimes, and Reaves added 25 points of his own. The Suns rested their regular rotation players after they had just returned from China. The Lakers' backcourt duo took advantage, but Smart was less impressive.
The Wizards bought him out, and Lakers fans saw why on Tuesday night. Smart is no longer the lockdown perimeter defender everyone remembers in Boston. He was just returning from an Achilles injury, but the 31-year-old was invisible, including when two guards not expected to be in the Suns' rotation were destroying the Lakers' defense.
The Marcus Smart signing is not looking great for the Lakers
It is never good when a player finishes a game with more fouls than any other stat. Smart had a couple of strong defensive plays, but not when he was guarding on the perimeter. The Lakers desperately need a stopper on lead ball-handlers. That was Smart’s role in Boston, but that player isn’t coming to LA.
The Lakers started Doncic, Reaves, Jake LaRavia, and Deandre Ayton next to Smart. It seems like Smart would be the obvious player to guard at the point of attack, and he was defending Jared Butler. Butler had seven points before Smart went to the bench with 6:48 remaining in the opening quarter. This isn’t Stephen Curry here. Butler has never played more than 17.4 minutes per game, but Smart had no answers.
Smart had greater success guarding wings in his first preseason action. Fans hope he just wasn’t fully locked in, but things could be much worse.
The injuries are still a massive issue. Smart missed the first three preseason games as he nursed an Achilles injury. He has played in just 54 contests since leaving Boston in 2023. The 31-year-old can’t stay healthy, and it appears the injuries have caught up to him.
The Lakers gave Smart a two-year $10.5 million contract this offseason after his Wizards buyout with a player option for the 2026-27 season. They clearly viewed him as an impactful piece, but he wasn’t in his first action. LA was outscored by two points in his 20 minutes, and the Suns weren’t playing any of their main rotation pieces.
The Los Angeles Lakers may quickly regret signing Marcus Smart. It is a bit early for that, but it certainly looked like a problematic move after their preseason loss to the Suns. Smart must prove he can stay healthy and be an impactful perimeter defender to fit. Sadly, that may not be possible.