LOS ANGELES – During the Los Angeles Lakers’ 125-122 win against the LA Clippers on Friday, Marcus Smart didn’t attempt a shot until the fourth quarter. When he finally got a chance to shoot the ball, he hit some clutch shots to stop the Clippers, going 3-4 in the final period. And for Smart, getting players into their roles is vital to the Lakers’ success.
After Lakers practice on Monday, Marcus Smart acknowledged that it’s not always easy to get players to buy into roles, especially when shot attempts and playing time are involved.
“Just understanding the game. Understanding what the game requires and how the game flows. Sometimes you might get a shot, maybe not. You might get more shots than last night, Smart said. “And in minutes, you might get more minutes than last night, you might not. It just depends on the game.”
“And it sucks sometimes because we’re competitive,” Smart added. “We want to win and we want to always be there to help our team. But you have to take advantage of whatever the game requires and understand what the game is giving you.”
Without Smart’s contributions, the Lakers cannot win that game against the Clippers. And before the team’s game against the Boston Celtics on Sunday, Lakers head coach JJ Redick talked about the sacrifices Smart has made as the fifth starter who won’t necessarily get as many shots playing with other starters.
“I think it’s important to embrace how smart it is,” Redick said. “I think it’s all on the line for all of our guys, in some ways, we’re going back to free agency stuff and having a lot of guys with uncertain futures, I think that’s something we’re going to have to deal with all season. But it’s on the line, we just have to play the game. The game will dictate how many shots you get.”
Smart was one of the Lakers’ major free agent acquisitions in the offseason. He signed a two-year contract that includes a player option for the next season. He has appeared in 46 games, including 39 starts, at a pace of just over 28 minutes per game.
He averaged 9.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals on 39.8 percent shooting from the field, 32.3 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 81.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Now that the Lakers have a solid full rotation, Redick appears to have settled on Smart as the eventual starter alongside LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton.
#Marcus #Smart #insists #understanding #play #role
