The Los Angeles Lakers had their second game in two days, Monday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.
In this game, LeBron James was out due to injury, which was expected.
Unfortunately, both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves were out as well.
Dončić was ruled out for rest, and Reaves for right groin soreness.
With Gabe Vincent out as well, the Lakers were shorthanded when it came to guards and ball handlers, which meant they had to turn elsewhere for production.
That ended up being Nick Smith Jr., who signed a two-way contract with the Lakers in late September of this offseason.
Smith will only have limited opportunities to showcase his skills and give the Lakers a reason to convert his contract to a standard deal.
Luckily, in Monday’s win while dealing with an illness, Smith suited up and had maybe his best game as a professional.
In the team's 123-115 win over Portland, Smith was third in scoring with 25 points.
He also solidified himself as a serious playmaker with 6 assists, something the Lakers desperately need as they remain cautious with Dončić and Reaves.
Smith did all of this in only 27 minutes, and shot 10-of-15 from the field and connected on five three-pointers.
The Lakers may have struck gold when they signed him in free agency.
He was previously with the Charlotte Hornets for the first two years of his career and averaged eight points for those two years.
You can make the case that Smith won that game for the Lakers, and Head Coach JJ Redick will have no choice but to rely on him as the season progresses.
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