The Los Angeles Lakers have dealt with their fair share of injuries and missed time through the first quarter of the NBA season. Marcus Smart is one of those players who has been out, but a recent injury update on the guard is a great sign for the Lakers.
According to Mike Trudell of Spectrum Sports, Smart said he is planning on suiting up for the Lakers’ NBA Cup quarterfinal game against the San Antonio Spurs.
“Marcus Smart said he’s planning to play Wednesday vs. San Antonio after missing the previous six games,” the insider wrote in a post on X, then quoting the defensive guard. “‘Back is feeling good. Felt good in practice today … I’m gonna give it a shot tomorrow and see how it feels.‘”
Smart has been out for more than two weeks after having back spasms. In 14 total appearances for the Lakers this season, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year is averaging 9.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.8 steals on 40.8% shooting.
Marcus Smart Injury Update
Smart was one of Los Angeles’ notable additions over the offseason, a group that also included Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia. He came in as a defensive specialist for a team that has struggled on that end of the floor, especially on the perimeter, for the past few years.
Neither James, Luka Doncic, nor Austin Reaves is known for their lockdown abilities, so Smart arrived for what the team hoped would be an increased presence guarding other top backcourt players.
While he’s been solid, Smart’s absence hasn’t drastically changed the Lakers’ winning ways, as they’ve gone 4-2 since he’s been out, though there have been some subpar defensive performances from the team as a whole.
But now, Smart is set to return. Los Angeles took a cautious approach to his recovery, considering what they went through with James, and wouldn’t want to lose one of their main contributors to an injury that might just be out of their control.
“Smart has been out for six games due to this back-related issue,” Edwin Garcia wrote for Silver Screen and Roll. “The injury has been labeled as a left lumbar strain, lower back injury management, and back spasms over that span.”
The Lakers rank 21st in defensive rating through 23 games, so the hope is that by getting back Smart for their NBA Cup game against the Spurs, he’ll provide some much-needed help against the seventh-best offense in the league.
Lakers Vs. Spurs In The NBA Cup Quarterfinals
With a return from Smart, the Lakers will be fully healthy for only the second game this year. That is not the case for the Spurs, as they are still without franchise star Victor Wembanyama. He has been out for multiple weeks with a calf injury, and isn’t expected to play, a good sign for the Los Angeles.
Despite being without their star, San Antonio has had a strong run led by Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and a deep supporting cast. Both of them have also missed time, but the Spurs rank ninth in net rating and sit fifth in the West at 16-7, which isn’t bad considering their star has been out for nearly half of those games.
For Los Angeles, despite two recent losses, they’ve been one of the hottest teams in the NBA. James remains a streaky scorer, but is coming off his best game of the year against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Doncic and Reaves have also been All-Star, even All-NBA offensive threats this year, and along with the recent rise of Ayton, they sit second in the West, only behind the defending champions.
With the matchup being an NBA Cup game, with money on the line, a player like Smart returning to add some defensive intensity and intensity all-around will be crucial for a more veteran Lakers team going up against a young and hungry Spurs squad.
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