Marcus Smart's game is loud, unapologetic, and hard to ignore in its impact. The Los Angeles Lakers more than see it by now. Even LeBron James does too. After the Lakers' tight 101-94 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 2, James sang loud praise for his tenacious teammate.
"He's battle-tested. ... Obviously, he's not afraid of the moment and he's always been assigned with some of the best players ever played his game in his career. So, to have someone like that it's just it brings a lot a composure to our team as well."
James did not care if he was beating a dead horse with the statement that was about to follow. LeBron made sure to reemphasize just how important Smart has been to the Lakers with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves both absent.
The veteran guard has been so good to the Lakers with his on-court play, off-court leadership, or otherwise. One way or another, with the offseason quickly approaching, the players around Smart are making his case for him when it comes to an extended stay in Los Angeles.
Marcus Smart keeps justifying a long-term Lakers stay as obvious to everyone
Elevating Smart to a permanent spot in the starting lineup earlier in the season was one of the major turning points for the Lakers to truly click in their roles and pecking order. The veteran brought stability and was allowed to set the tone for Los Angeles from the tip-off of every game.
To James' point, the former Defensive Player of the Year is a guy who has been to the NBA Finals and won a ton of playoff games. If LeBron is the biggest stabilizing force on the team after the two major injuries to the Lakers' star guards, then Smart is not too far behind.
Through two games of this series against the Rockets, Smart has averaged 20.0 points, 7.5 assists, 3.0 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game in his elevated role. That also comes on 52.0 percent shooting from the field and a 50.0 percent success rate from beyond the arc.
Those numbers are not built to last, but Smart's union with the Lakers should be.
When the summer arrives, he will have a $5.4 million player option to consider. There is already a case to be made for Smart outplaying that value and setting himself up for a multi-year deal.
The Lakers will need to be careful about how they navigate their cap to not rob themselves of other opportunities to sign free agents. However, with how much his teammates clearly value his presence, it is tough to find reasons for Los Angeles to not invest in Smart at this point.
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