Marcus Smart is a leader, by every definition of the word. Him joining the Los Angeles Lakers, following his buyout from the Washington Wizards during the offseason, has given the franchise the intangibles needed to truly elevate themselves to a higher tier of teams in the NBA.
Rob Pelinka, for his part, absolutely nailed free agency in the summer of 2025. Letting Dorian Finney-Smith walk at the start of it was troublesome to many, but the way the Lakers president recovered afterwards was nothing short of a masterclass.
Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia have both been tremendous in their own right. Even among the other great signings, Smart stands out as the player whose fingerprints can be seen all over the Lakers every time they are on the court.
Marcus Smart's intangibles are irreplaceable for the new Lakers identity
It was only a few days ago that a statistical dive into Smart's advanced numbers revealed the obvious: the Lakers are better when their new guard is on the court. However, the story goes beyond the metrics themselves. Anyone who values the eye test considerably will also easily fall in love with Smart.
There will certainly be moments when the former Defensive Player of the Year will have his energy work against him. The matchup against the San Antonio Spurs will certainly offer an example of that. Smart's line violation on an inbounds pass nearly cost the Lakers a game that was otherwise over.
“As a 12-year vet, I can’t make that mistake. … I take full ownership of it. … It will never happen again.” Marcus Smart on his line violation when inbounding the ball with 1.2 seconds left, nearly costing the Lakers the win. pic.twitter.com/aK68F9xmLV
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 6, 2025
However, Los Angeles would not have been in that ballgame to begin with had Smart not been there. The Lakers veteran chipped in 17 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block. More than that, though, it was the relentless energy Smart contributed that spread to everyone around him.
JJ Redick has received a ton of credit for laying the foundation for the Lakers to be a winning team from the beginning of training camp, and rightfully so. Having players like Smart makes setting that tone and culture so much easier.
The Lakers have played with a level of intensity, poise, and physicality that is new to them. Smart is a big part of that, contributing whatever the team needs. Whether it be charges, fighting for loose balls, or the general fearless nature that he brings, the rest of the team has followed suit as a result.
With averages of 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, Ayton has been really good as a starting center. LaRavia has also delivered what has been asked of him, with 12.1 points per game and 40.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Smart has contributed to manufacturing a winning culture. That may just be the most important contribution of all.