Marcus Smart has started 15 out of a possible 22 games for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2025-26 season. Despite that, his inclusion among the first five comes across more circumstantial than anything else.
When everyone has been available, Smart was been a bench player. The preferred starting lineup that JJ Redick has turned to this season has included Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton. The limitations of that group have become painfully obvious.
Assuming a clean bill of health for everyone, four of those five guys should have their starting spots locked up. Hachimura would be the fifth.
The debate surrounding who should be the last starter for the Lakers was a popular topic during the offseason. Smart and Hachimura were pitted against each other for that final slot among the first five. With the calendar set to flip to 2026, it's time for a change in Los Angeles.
Marcus Smart must replace Rui Hachimura in the Lakers' starting lineup
This is not a conversation about Hachimura being a subpar basketball player. It never has been. This was always going to be about fit and complementary skill sets.
Granted, Hachimura is not without value in the starting group. Rui is easily the most reliable shooter the Lakers have. The Lakers forward is knocking down 44.5 percent of his 4.1 attempts from beyond the arc. That matters.
Removing Hachimura from the starting lineup leaves Reaves as the only 3-point marksman among the starting five who is shooting above the league average from deep. That is a dangerous endeavor.
However, so is continuing to expose yourself on the defensive end. The Lakers' struggles with getting consistent stops are well-documented. They have been one of the worst defensive groups in the NBA this season, ranking in the bottom-10 of the NBA.
Smart may not be the caliber of a Defensive Player of the Year anymore. Even so, the Lakers guard remains one of the most reliable options on that end for this group in Los Angeles.
There is, of course, the Jarred Vanderbilt route as well. That would be the other player who really pops on the defensive end in the Lakers rotation. However, given him being phased out earlier in the year, it would be difficult to imagine Redick opting for that route.
Smart provides more reliable play on both sides of the basketball. Spacing would be a heightened concern with swapping out Rui, but there should be plenty of faith in the Lakers offense figuring things out considering all the star power they have.
Without an external player arriving in Los Angeles who can contribute on both sides of the basketball court, Smart stands out as a difference-maker for the starters. Hachimura would still remain a valuable part of the rotation. It would just be as a bench spark for the second unit.