It’s been a tough preseason for JJ Redick and the Los Angeles Lakers.
They haven’t been able to paint a clear picture of their roster for next season, with key players in and out of the lineup over the course of four games.
Luka Doncic made his preseason debut in the Los Angeles Lakers’ final game before Opening Day, scoring a team-high 25 points. The Slovenian missed most of training camp after Doncic played in EuroBasket over the summer.
This game marked the first time Doncic and Austin Reaves played together since the Lakers’ disappointing playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Both scored 25 points, but LeBron James remained sidelined with sciatica.
Marcus Smart also made his debut with the Lakers, but played 20 minutes without scoring. JJ Redick took a quick jab at Smart, who left his stat sheet blank with just one assist left.
Not only did Smart hold the Lakers scoreless for 20 minutes, he also didn’t make any shots. Smart was one of the Lakers’ key signings this summer, brought on to cover for Doncic’s deficiencies in perimeter defense. But he needs to provide some offensive threat.
He showed his typical intensity that doesn’t show up in the box score. Redick was happy to see that, but wanted a little more aggression on the offensive end.
“Marcus was so physical and so tenacious that I wish he would have taken at least one shot every 20 minutes,” Redick said after the Lakers lost 104-113 to the Phoenix Suns.
“I think that’s where we fudged the game a little bit. I didn’t like some of the no-pass possessions and shot selection.”
Overall, Reddick was pleased with the play of the two players making their first appearances in the 2025 preseason. He added: “I liked what I saw from him (Luka) and I liked what I saw from Marcus.”
Doncic’s performance was a big plus. Even though the team lost by nine points, the +/- was +11. He needed to be at his best, as he and Reeves would be carrying the burden while James recovered from his injury.
Smart didn’t sign with the Lakers to score points. They have Doncic, arguably the NBA’s best scorer, with Reaves as his partner. They need physicality, defensive presence and leadership, and Smart will provide all of that on a nightly basis.
The Lakers’ other perimeter defenders, Rui Hachimura and Jared Vanderbilt, did not play with Smart in his Lakers debut. At this stage of his career, they’ve proven to be more effective two-way players than Smart, so expect some production from them.
What could be a concern for Redick is that Jared Butler had 35 RBIs, 9 RBIs, and 7 RBIs for the Suns. Smart couldn’t let go of the guard who averaged nine points for the Philadelphia 76ers last season.
If Smart can’t make an impact on a player as talented as Butler this season, what kind of impact can he really have on either side?