Caught up in the ongoing hurricane of Luka Doncic criticism -- be it about his supposed lack of leadership or problematic whining -- fans, and perhaps the Los Angeles Lakers themselves, have forgotten that they have an excellent vocal leader in the form of Marcus Smart.
Smart's comments after another tough loss for the Lakers on Thursday reminded us why his attitude is so important for LA -- because it stands in stark contrast to the Lakers' most glaring cultural problems.
The Lakers should rely more on Marcus Smart as a leader
The Lakers are different from most NBA franchises in that they have a blinding spotlight on them at all times, which results in massive fan and media overreactions to any moment of success or failure. That's not breaking news.
But when you have emotionally-charged leaders like Doncic and head coach JJ Redick, all of the outside noise seems to get even louder. While Luka and Redick are obviously talented individuals, neither has necessarily mastered the art of staying calm on the Lakers' roller coaster, and this has had a contagious effect on the rest of the squad.
Vibes rise and fall so dramatically with these Lakers, and that stems from the demeanor of their head coach and superstar alpha.
Meanwhile, the veteran Smart offers an antidote to all of that wasted emotion. Marcus is an extremely passionate basketball player himself, but he combines that dive-on-the-floor passion with a much more measured approach off the floor that is supremely prepared to handle adversity of all shapes and sizes.
Following Thursday's loss, the Lakers' body language was a disaster, with Austin Reaves and others looking utterly dejected.
Smart didn't look like a kid in a candy store, either, but his remarks revealed a resilient person focused on the right things.
“The way to get out of it is to keep playing," Smart said. "We’re still in good shape. … We got to continue to trust. We can’t let games like this deter us from trusting each other.”
The media is doing all it can to tear the Lakers apart right now, whether it's dragging Luka, whispering about LeBron's offseason plans, or once again pointing to LA's shoddy defense (this last one is probably something the Lakers need to keep hearing).
There's not enough stability and grit happening inside the Lakers' circle, and Smart has the heart and mind to help change that.
As an emotional leader for the Boston Celtics, Smart experienced winning, losing, and everything in between. He reached an NBA Finals in 2022, and his character was still written all over the 2024 Celtics that captured the title, even if his person was no longer around.
Smart puts it all on the line every day, rain or shine. His consistency of spirit is something the Lakers would benefit from adopting. The Lakers don't lack leadership; they just might be taking Smart's voice for granted.