The Los Angeles Lakers are fighting their way through the opening weeks of the season down multiple key players. That includes Marcus Smart, who was supposed to be the perfect solution to their problems. Instead, the Washington Wizards get to laugh out loud as the Lakers get a whole lot of nothing from their free agent addition.
Wednesday night, Austin Reaves hit a game-winning buzzer beater to etch his place in Los Angeles lore and carry the Lakers over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He did so with only two other guards on the roster playing in the game, totaling 15 minutes off the bench. Nick Smith Jr. and Bronny James are no one's idea of a strong backcourt.
The Lakers started three power forwards between Reaves and Deandre Ayton, in large part because they had no other options. Disappointing sophomore Dalton Knecht played 36 minutes not because he has done anything to prove himself, but because there was no one else to play. And yet again, Marcus Smart was out of the lineup nursing an injury.
It was Smart's second-straight missed game with a quad injury. He also missed four of the Lakers' preseason games nursing multiple injuries. The 31-year-old guard is constantly beset by nagging injuries that take him out of the lineup and sap his impact when he does suit up.
Marcus Smart is perpetually injured or ineffective now
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Washington Wizards fans are laughing because this is hardly news. They took on Smart's contract as essentially a salary dump at last season's trade deadline. He joined the Memphis Grizzlies via trade as their defensive stopper and played a grand total of 39 games in two seasons. When he did play, he was below replacement level.
The Grizzlies dumped him on the Wizards, and the Wizards had to cackle with glee when Smart was willing to give back some of his salary in a buyout because the Lakers wanted to sign him. Perhaps the California air was going to heal Smart's body? Perhaps playing for a winning team (the Grizzlies won 48 games last season, but still) alongside LeBron James would spark a commitment to excellence?
Whatever the thought process, it has been a colossal failure thus far. There is obviously plenty of season remaining, but Smart's track recod over the past few seasons does nothing to suggest he will be healthy the rest of the way.
Now add that to the rest of the Lakers' injury issues and things begin to spiral. Doncic is another player who often deals with nagging injuries and has a pair of them keeping him out of the lineup. LeBron is out with sciatica. Gabe Vincent, another paper tiger, is on the shelf once more. Maxi Kleber is essentially always out with an injury.
The Lakers desperately need healthy players in the lineup, and Marcus Smart has fallen short. In the three games that he did play, he was awful. His steal percentage is at a career low, as is his rebound percentage, and his turnovers are at a career-high. He is 1-for-7 from the 3-point line. He has six assists, but also six turnovers. He's not doing anything well right now.
Perhaps Marcus Smart turns things around, gets healthy, and can be the steady hand and defensive stopper the Lakers signed him to be. Much more likely, however, is that he stays injured, stays ineffective, and does nothing to contribute to winning basketball in 2025-26.
And that has the Wizards and their fans rolling on the floor in laughter.