New Lakers backcourt player: There’s no need to run out of gas in the preseason, my job is to find a feeling

The Los Angeles Lakers conducted daily training during the training camp. During the period, the team's new backcourt player Marcus Smart accepted an interview with the media after the training. He also talked about his current status in training and his next game plan in the interview.

In this regard, Smart said: I have just begun to become familiar with the team's tactical system and the related situations of my teammates. In addition to training, I only participated in one game with other team members, while everyone else had already gone through at least multiple games of actual combat. What I have to do now is to get back the feeling of the game, understand what will happen to me on the court, figure out the team's tactics, and know what role I should play on the court. As for my playing time, I think judging from the current situation, it is more appropriate to control it to about 20 to 25 minutes. Smart continued: I know exactly what I should do now. After all, the NBA season is very long. Preseason games are important, but you definitely don’t need to use up all the gas in your tank in such a pre-season warm-up period. So my main task at this stage is to go on the court and find a feeling. I think 20-25 minutes of playing time is enough to help me do this.

In the NBA regular season last season, Smart played 34 times on behalf of the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards, averaging 20 minutes per game. He averaged 9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game. He also had 1.6 turnovers and 1.6 fouls. He shot 39.3% from the field, 34.8% from the three-point range, and 76.1% from the free throw line. In the preseason team's loss to the Phoenix Suns, Smart made his debut with the Lakers. He did not complete a single shot in 20 minutes and 06 seconds of playing time, did not score 1 point, only contributed 1 assist, and 2 fouls, with a plus-minus value of -2. Smart's performance in this game can be said to be disastrous. His performance on both offense and defense was a mess and had no effect at all. His state is also very worrying.

This summer, Smart completed a buyout with his old club, the Wizards, and then signed a two-year contract with the Lakers worth $11 million. Smart's salary in the new season is US$5.1 million, and part of the contract in the 2026-27 season is a player option. The Lakers actually paid a lot of money to sign Smart. He is also the Lakers' key signing this summer. After experiencing a long injury, Smart's performance in his first appearance after returning was indeed less than ideal. But according to him, he won't work too hard during the preseason. I wonder if his performance can be further improved when the regular season starts, or is there really no more gas in his tank?