The Los Angeles Lakers surprisingly started Nick Smith Jr. with Luka Doncic out on Tuesday night against the Suns, and it immediately backfired on head coach JJ Redick in the 132-108 loss to Phoenix. Austin Reaves returned after missing three straight games with a calf injury. Redick brought AR off the bench because he was on a minute limit. With Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent also out, Redick had to get creative.
Jake LaRavia, Marcus Smart, and Smith Jr. joined LeBron James and Deandre Ayton in the starting five. That meant the two-way guard began the game over Reaves, Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero, and Bronny James. The same guard that was waived by the rebuilding Hornets in September was starting for the Lakers on Tuesday night. He offers youth and scoring punch, but his efficiency and defense are problems.
Smith Jr. played 111 games in his first two NBA seasons in Charlotte. He produced a negative-2.0 value over replacement player (VORP) and a negative win shares per 48 minutes with the Hornets. The 21-year-old did not make a massive leap overnight. Playing Smith Jr. is a problem, and coach Redick quickly found out why on Tuesday night in Phoenix.
Lakers' baffling decision to start Nick Smith Jr. backfires
Redick clearly doesn’t trust Jarred Vanderbilt or Dalton Knecht. The former first-round pick may be playing his way off the Lakers as his struggles continued against the Suns. With three other role players out, the head coach had to get creative. His choice was Smith Jr., but he forgot an important piece of the equation.
He wanted a guard to start next to Marcus Smart, but Smith Jr. struggles mightily on defense. They would have been better off going with Vando or Adou Thiero to give them someone to stop Devin Booker and Collin Gillespie.
Smith Jr. wasn’t the go-to bucket-getter, so he was playing outside his comfort zone on both ends of the floor. That quickly turned into a problem that the Lakers couldn’t solve. The result was a blowout win for the Suns on their home floor.
Smith Jr. finished with 12 points, one rebound, one assists, and two turnovers in 28 minutes of action. He made five of his 11 field goal attempts, but had just two points before garbage time. The Lakers were outscored by nine with him on the floor, and there were no positives from his first start with the Lakers.
The 21-year-old is not the answer for a contending team. He is shooting below 40 percent from the field for his career and offers little besides scoring. Reserve bucket-getters are not being valued league-wide, and Smith Jr. hasn’t reached his prime. His defense and inefficiency will sink Los Angeles whenever they rely on him for a significant role.
The Los Angeles Lakers made a grave mistake in starting Nick Smith Jr. against the Suns. It led to atrocious defense and a blowout loss. There were several reasons the Hornets gave up on the former first-round draft pick before his rookie contract expired. Lakers fans found out exactly why in Tuesday’s loss. Hopefully, Redick learned his lesson and won’t make it again.