After joining the Lakers, Marcus Smart now views the purple and gold as one of the top teams in the Western Conference.
After seeing his career peak by being named Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, Smart has not only found it hard to get back to that level, but he’s struggled to even remain on the floor.
Injuries have limited him to 54 games over the last two seasons. However, if looking for a silver lining, the injuries have predominantly been to his hand and ankle, body parts that don’t often lead to long-term injuries.
It’s likely that sort of reasoning that leads Smart to feel he has plenty left to offer, as he discussed on Tuesday at his psuedo intro presser after signing with the Lakers.
“I still have a lot left in the tank,” Smart said, via Dan Woike of The Athletic.
The Lakers are certainly banking on that. It’s why they took the risk, albeit a relatively low one at his contract number, to sign him. The team is in a position where these types of risks make sense, particularly at the price because, if it does pay off, it’ll lead to big rewards.
But is it a big enough to make them a contender in the West? Not shockingly, Smart seems to think so as well.
“I think we stack right up there with the best of them,” Smart said, again via Woike with The Athletic. “And I think we can [compete]. Our ceiling is high. I think there’s no ceiling. I think if we all lock in and come and do what we’re supposed to do, we can have a real good shot at it.”
It’s an ambitious take, but Smart has been nothing but confident throughout his career. Again, at his best, Smart is a seamless fit with the Lakers given his skill set. But assuming best case scenario is not a wise decision.
Last season showed that the Lakers could, on any given night, beat the best teams in the league. It also showed the playoffs are a different animal.
The Lakers weren’t one player away from competing at the top level, so Smart doesn’t pull them even with the likes of the Thunder, Rockets or likely even the Nuggets. But it does close the gap and perhaps even pulls them within one big move away from being at that level.
That alone makes this a risk worth taking, and one the Lakers hope they’ll hit big on.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.