Well, at least the Lakers finally know what they are up against as they prepare to open the NBA playoffs without their two top scorers, Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic. Both players went down with long-term injuries at the end of March, injuries that figure to keep them out through the end of this month and which will completely overhaul the landscape for the Lakers in the postseason. Two weeks ago, it appeared as though the Lakers could be fringe contenders. Now, with the injuries–and with the pending series against Kevin Durant and the Rockets–few are picking the Lakers to survive to Round 2.
Among the small number of Lakers who have actually seen Durant, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, head-to-head in the playoffs, L.A. forward Marcus Smart has the most experience. And he’s telling his teammates to buckle up.
“Brutal. It’s brutal, man,” he said. “Dude is one of the greatest to play this game and, he moves like a guard in a big-man body. It’s hard, it’s definitely tough. He’s going to make it tough for us, we’re going to make it tough for him.”
Lakers Must ‘Stay Poised’ vs. Kevin Durant and Rockets
The problem for the Lakers is that, even if they can contain Durant, the Rockets have three other players who average 15.0 points or better, beginning with center Alperen Sengun at 20.4, and including two-way star Amen Thompson (18.3) and Jabari Smith Jr. (15.8).
Smart said that if the Lakers can keep things close, handle adversity and not let Rockets runs get away from them, the team can hang with Houston.
“It’s going to be our ability to stay poised under pressure,” Smart said. “Things are going to get really adverse for us, and we have got to stick together. We understand that we can bend a little bit but we can’t break.”
Marcus Smart Back After Injury
Smart is back in action for the Lakers over the past two games after overcoming an ankle injury that kept him out for nine games. He struggled in his return, shooting just 3-for-12, but said that he’s playoff-ready.
Said Smart: “Feeling really good. Just trying to get my rhythm and really get my conditioning. My shot obviously didn’t fall. But that’s gonna come. I’ve been out a couple of games. That’s going to come, just going to take a little bit more time to get back to it. This week that we have off before we play is definitely gonna help. I think it is going to help everybody overall to get even more healthier.”
Marcus Smart 1 of 3 Lakers Handling the Ball
Smart will be an especially important Lakers player for the opening of the postseason, if the team is going to have any chance of upsetting Houston in Round 1. That’s because, without Reaves and Doncic, the team is without its two best ballhandlers, and will need to split duties among Smart, Luke Kennard and James.
Not trying to do too much will be critical.
Said Smart: “Just understanding that, all three of us and even Nick Smith Jr. or whoever else is going to be helping us on the ball, we are going to be splitting some time. Which is gonna help us. That way, we don’t give defenses a steady dose of one thing, and we don’t wear ourselves out on that end of the floor trying to bring the ball up. So it’s definitely going be a challenge, but we’re gonna see where it goes.”
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