TITLE: Ayton Calls Marcus Smart the Lakers’ “True Leader” Amid Playoff Push
SLUG: ayton-calls-marcus-smart-true-leader-lakers
CONTENT:
Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton described veteran guard Marcus Smart as “a true leader” during Monday’s practice, underscoring the role Smart has played in keeping the team’s season alive.
Ayton and Smart both arrived in Los Angeles last summer on discounted contracts after buyouts from their previous clubs. The 7-footer filled the starting-center vacancy created by the Luka Doncic blockbuster, while Smart, a former Defensive Player of the Year, assumed perimeter-stopper duties and became an emotional catalyst.
“Marcus is a true leader,” Ayton said. “Besides Bron, Luka or AR, Marcus is the guy with the grit. When we feel discombobulated, he tries to be that guy—he’ll put his arms around me and some of the younger guys. He keeps that intensity high, and it’s contagious.”
Smart’s presence proved critical while Doncic and Austin Reaves missed time with Grade 2 muscle strains. In the first-round series against the Houston Rockets, the 32-year-old guard averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists, adding 2.7 steals and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 44.8 percent from three-point range.
After the series clincher against Houston, Smart redirected praise back to Ayton. “For me, it’s D.A. He played his ass off tonight,” Smart said. “He set the tone for us on the defensive end and allowed me—and everybody else—to come together and do our thing.”
The Lakers continue their postseason run with Smart anchoring the defense and Ayton patrolling the paint, both intent on extending a season that nearly derailed amid injuries earlier in the year.
Source: Lakers Nation
