Smart is an excellent defender, even if he doesn’t get many steals or blocks, and while he is a low-percentage shooter on offense, he has made some key baskets for the Lakers. They could have used their defense on Monday when Daniss Jenkins, a second-year guard who, until recently, was on a two-way contract and was averaging eight points per game entering Monday, scored 30 points and had eight assists.
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Coach JJ Redick made it clear that Smart’s absence was costly during Monday’s game, which the Lakers lost by three points, ending their winning streak.
“Not having Smart tonight killed us,” Redick said. “…The way our team works, you need Smart for their ball handling. You need Smart for their defense.”
Guard Austin Reaves agreed.
“Marcus is a great glue for us, as everyone knows,” Reaves said. “The way he plays, selfless, protecting the best player on each team, that’s what he does. When you don’t have that, it sucks.”
On the season, Smart is averaging 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and has made a decent 36.3% of his 3-point attempts since the beginning of January. He leads the team in total plus-minus with a plus-238, and has a 6.4 net rating when on the court. With Smart, the Lakers have a defensive rating of 110.9, but when he hasn’t been on the court this season, his defensive rating has dropped to 117.7.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Smart is day-to-day with his ankle ailment, as well as a hip issue. The Lakers will conclude their six-game road trip on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers.
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This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: JJ Redick, Austin Reaves on Lakers without Marcus Smart vs. Pistons