The Los Angeles Lakers are 23 games into the season, and head coach JJ Redick has his team off to a strong start, highlighted by Sunday’s impressive victory over the Philadelphia 76ers that improved their record to 17-6.
Despite their solid start, the Lakers have dealt with periodic absences. LeBron James missed a large portion of the early season, Luka Doncic unexpectedly sat out two of the last three games to welcome the birth of his second child, and injuries sidelined Gabe Vincent—who has since returned—and Marcus Smart, who has been out for over a week with a lingering back issue.
However, ahead of their next outing on Wednesday night in the NBA Cup quarterfinals against the San Antonio Spurs, the Lakers received encouraging news: Smart is expected to return to the court, marking the first time this season that L.A. will have nearly a fully healthy roster available.
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Smart, who has appeared in 14 of the Lakers’ 23 games since joining the team this offseason after being waived by the Washington Wizards, spoke to the media following Tuesday’s practice.
“Back is feeling good. Felt good in practice today,” Smart said. “I’m gonna give it a shot tomorrow and see how it feels.”
Smart has been the defensive two-way presence the Lakers have needed, but his availability has been crucial—and a challenge—since leaving the Boston Celtics, where he spent the first nine seasons of his NBA career.
This season, Smart is averaging 9.3 points, 2.9 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game, while consistently taking on the opposing team’s top guard as the primary defender whenever he’s on the floor
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