While LeBron James continues to deal with nerve irritation in his glute and is reportedly unlikely to play in any of the Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason games, another one of the team’s unhealthy players has returned to practice.
Marcus Smart, a guard the Lakers signed over the summer, had missed their first two preseason games due to Achilles tendinopathy. But he was able to practice on Tuesday, which seems to indicate he will play in at least one of their upcoming exhibition games.
Coach JJ Redick liked what he saw from Smart on the practice floor.
Via Lakers Nation:
“Marcus (Smart) did most of practice, including some live play,” Redick said. “It was great to see him out there… He was awesome. He was awesome. I think given the workload of today, I was impressed that he was able to sustain his level of intensity for as long as he did.”
Smart, who was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year for the 2021-22 season, has the ability to infuse L.A. with not only defense but also grit and resourcefulness while becoming a glue guy. He has extensive playoff experience from his nine seasons with the Boston Celtics, and he is a very capable secondary ball handler and facilitator.
The Lakers’ next preseason game will be this Sunday, Oct. 12, against the Golden State Warriors. They will then have three more exhibition contests over the following five days before they open their regular-season schedule on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at home against the Warriors.