One of the few positives to come out of the Los Angeles Lakers loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals was the performance of Marcus Smart. After missing six straight games due to a back issue, Smart returned on Wednesday with his best offensive game of the season.
Smart knocked down eight 3-pointers to finish with a season-high 26 points in the defeat. While he is primarily valued for his defense and leadership, Smart showed in this game that he can get hot and be a real threat from deep which is something this team sorely needs.
Smart has never been a great 3-point shooter, but he at least must be a threat for the Lakers which would help open up the court for the team’s superstars. Smart understands this as well and has been putting in the work, and is hopeful he will be able to build off of this contest.
“For me, I just continue to work and I trust the work that I’m putting in and I continue to put in that eventually shots are gonna fall,” Smart said when asked about his 3-point shooting. “I can’t control whether the shot goes in or not, all I can do is control how I prepare to make the shot. And I’ve been doing everything right. Tonight was the night for me and hopefully that it starts a trend for me to start making some shots consistently.”
Smart is unlikely to ever be a great 3-point shooter as he has shot just 32.4% from deep in his 12-year career, but he has shown himself to be a timely shooter who is willing to take and make big shots in clutch situations. Defense, energy, communication and leadership are the primary attributes he brings to the team, but his ability to hit open shots will only make the Lakers that much better offensively.
The game against the Spurs was Smart at his hottest so it would be unfair to expect that kind of performance regularly. But a couple of 3-pointers a game, along with everything else he brings, would make him one of the most important and counted upon role players for this Lakers team.
Marcus Smart felt good in return for Lakers
Just as important as his shooting performance was for Marcus Smart in his return to the court for the Lakers was how he felt physically on the court and afterwards. And immediately after the game, Smart revealed he felt good in his first game in two weeks.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!