Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart labeled Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the league’s most challenging offensive threat on Monday, two days before their Western Conference second-round series begins.
“Number one,” Smart said after practice when asked where Gilgeous-Alexander ranks among difficult covers. “He does a great job of getting to the free-throw line and he’s mastered it. That’s going to be a challenge for me and for everybody on this team to keep him off the line and stay out of foul trouble.”
The reigning MVP averaged 30.1 points during the regular season, and Smart expects the assignment of guarding him from the opening tip. Still, the veteran insisted the Lakers will need a collective effort to slow the Thunder guard.
“You just go out there and play,” Smart explained. “With two competitors—one on offense, one on defense—it makes for a great matchup. You’re not going to stop everything. You study the film, decide what you can live with, and make every bucket and every possession as tough as possible.”
Smart highlighted Gilgeous-Alexander’s versatility, calling him a “three-level scorer” capable of hurting defenses from the perimeter, mid-range and at the rim. “He’s an MVP, we know what he’s capable of,” Smart said. “You’re not going to win every battle; you have to pick your poison.”
The Lakers and Thunder open their best-of-seven series later this week at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
Source: LakersNation.com
