When Marcus Smart is ready, available, and on the court, the biggest concerns that surround the tenacious guard would be ones circulating around his offense. That same exhilarating energy that is brought to the defensive end can sometimes be detrimental on the other side of the court.
The Los Angeles Lakers should fell well-equipped to overcome those concerns. Luka Doncic and LeBron James offer the offensive structure needed to minimize any damage that can come with Smart's occasional erraticism on that side of the floor.
Smart, himself, acknowledged the role those two had in making his choice to join the Lakers. The two-way guard highlighted the duo as a key factor in wanting to be in Los Angeles at his first press conference with the team.
Smart said, "There's a lot of reasons, but the main one, being able to play with Luka and LeBron. [They are] two of the best to do it in this game, two greats with greatest basketball IQ that I've ever seen in this era."
Marcus Smart poised to be his best self with the Lakers
There is a lot of excitement surrounding what Smart can offer the Lakers in the 2025-26 NBA season. This is especially true given the encouraging reports about the health and conditioning of the veteran guard.
The immediate answers that Smart offers the Lakers with his defense should patch up a lot of issues that existed before his arrival. Whether the former Defensive Player of the Year is starting or not should make the conversations about his offense a little different with the outlook there.
Two new Lakers additions Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia making a defense-to-offense play... pic.twitter.com/nUjzCAbztI
— Iztok Franko (@iztok_franko) July 20, 2025
Smart's decision-making has led to some poor shots and bad turnovers throughout his career. That is where his energy and effort can bite him.
If Smart does work his way into the starting lineup, the veteran guard will be the fifth option offensively. That offense will flow through Doncic, James, Austin Reaves, and even DeAndre Ayton before it comes to him.
Smart's responsibility at that point would be to polish his 3-point shooting ahead of the 2025-26 season. With Doncic, James, and Reaves leading the charge, knocking down open perimeter looks will be vital for the man who did shoot 39.2 percent from beyond the arc in his limited sample size with the Washington Wizards.
If Smart is to occupy the lead bench guard role, there is a little more concern with some of the offensive inconsistency being showcased. However, even then, JJ Redick should still be able to stagger minutes in a way that Smart would not be the primary initiator of the Lakers' attack.
The message here is not that the three-time All-NBA defender is detrimental offensively. The conversation leans more in the direction of Smart being better in smaller doses on that end. The Lakers have more than enough gifted offensive talent to allow for that approach.