Marcus Smart picking up four fouls in 12 first-half minutes wasn’t the plan Tuesday, but the Lakers guard still saw a purpose behind the maddening calls.
For a team that signed the 31-year-old guard in large part for his tenacity, having Smart set the standard of physicality was the right way to start a season, even if the season-opening result went the wrong way for the Lakers.
“The toughest team,” Smart said, “sets the rules.”
“I’ve been in this league for 12 years and that’s always been the motto,” the former NBA defensive player of the year continued. “You see it. The team that comes out more physical, the momentum is kind of going their way, and that’s how it is. We want to be the toughest team from start to the end.”
Now against the team that bullied them out of the playoffs last year, the Lakers get to test their toughness on Friday at 7 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena in a rematch of last year’s first-round series.
Film from last year’s five-game series against the Minnesota Timberwolves has been rolling in front of coach JJ Redick for days as he fell down a deep rabbit hole preparing for the game. The clips aren’t needed to prompt a revenge storyline, Redick said, but could help create a different type of motivation for a team that’s trying to break in three offseason additions.
“After Game 1, our guys played so hard,” Redick said. “And this group has to build a habit of playing that hard every single night.”
The Timberwolves (1-0) are still built around the brilliance of 24-year-old star guard Anthony Edwards and the length and physicality of post players Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid. The Lakers — without star LeBron James (sciatica) — are trying to build chemistry back up with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves while incorporating free agent signings Smart, Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia.
Some connections between Ayton and his guards went awry in the opener that featured 20 Lakers turnovers in the loss to the Golden State Warriors. Building chemistry both offensively and defensively will happen naturally over the season, Reaves stressed, and can’t necessarily be rushed.
Smart has been tasked with being a primary communicator on defense, along with Ayton and guard Gabe Vincent. The role suits the veteran guard who has become a loud voice in the locker room despite only arriving this season. With both his vocal leadership and his tenacious effort on the court — diving for loose balls and stepping up in hopes of drawing offensive fouls — Smart said he wants to set an example for the Lakers against even the most physical teams in the league.
“There’s a will, there’s always a way,” Smart said. “And in the game of basketball, there’s a lot of will, so there’s a lot of ways. We just got to figure out which one works for us.”
Edwards is coming off a spectacular 41-point season debut in the Timberwolves’ 118-114 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. He not only scored the most points in franchise history for a season opener but did so while shooting 50% from the field (14 for 28) and battling back spasms that made him questionable entering the game.
Lakers guard Marcus Smart throws his arms overhead as he reacts after a missed call in the second quarter of the game against the Warriors on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
The 24-year-old three-time All-Star is coming off a career-high 27.6 points per game last year after leading the Timberwolves to their second consecutive appearance in the Western Conference finals.
“He’s a tough shot maker, shifty, he’s athletic,” LaRavia said, “so you kind of just have to make everything difficult for him, be physical with him. … At the end of the day, he’s going to make shots, because that’s what he’s paid to do, and we’ve just got to do our best to not let that happen.”
Austin Reaves battling through ankle injury
Reaves was a modified participant in practice Thursday after he “tweaked” his ankle in Tuesday’s game, Redick said. Reaves, who had 26 points and nine assists against the Warriors, was held out of live play. Redick said the guard’s availability will come down to how Reaves feels ahead of Friday’s game.
“I know Austin,” Redick said, “I’m going to expect him to play.”
Doncic was a full participant in practice Thursday after he appeared to suffer a groin injury during Tuesday’s season opener. The guard, coming off a 43-point performance, downplayed any injury immediately after the game.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
