Los Angeles — Lakers head coach JJ Redick expects newly signed guard Marcus Smart to set the tone defensively and vocally when the team opens the 2025-26 campaign.
“We need his voice as part of communication. His competitive spirit,” Redick told reporters while outlining offseason priorities. The coach called toughness Smart’s defining trait and noted that, despite two injury-marred seasons, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year still ranks in the 80th percentile or higher in most advanced defensive metrics.
Redick added that Smart’s influence will not be limited to defense. He described the 30-year-old as an “underrated playmaker” capable of serving as a secondary ball-handler behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Relieving primary duties for Doncic, Reaves and LeBron James, Redick said, could sharpen the Lakers’ half-court attack.
Health remains the variable. Smart finished last season strongly, and the Lakers believe sustained availability will allow him to guard multiple positions and orchestrate from the perimeter.
Commitment to Conditioning
The push for durability ties into a broader offseason program. Redick instructed every player to report in “championship shape” and praised the roster for daily pickup games, organized workouts and post-session conditioning.
“The commitment level across the board has been very high this summer,” he said. “It’s not a basketball thing he can or cannot do. It’s all of us being in elite shape.”
Smart is expected to join full workouts when training camp opens, giving the Lakers another experienced leader on a roster built around defense, playmaking and postseason experience.
Source: Lakers Nation
