Debut in stealth mode! 0+0+1+0+0! Lakers' second major signing this summer

Lakers 104-113 Suns.

In this game, Doncic made his preseason debut for the year, contributing 25 points, 7 boards, and 4 assists in roughly 22 minutes.

The full Lakers stats are as follows:

Suns’ full stats are as follows:

The Lakers’ starting five for this game consisted of Doncic, Reeves, Smart, LaRavia, and Ayton.

Hey, Smart played, and he was immediately in the starting lineup,about 20 minutes with 0 shots, 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 0 turnovers; his stat line only shows 1 assist and 2 fouls, he is the Lakers’ second major signing this summer after Ayton.

Looking at the stats, Smart seemed like he didn’t play at all. Lakers coach Reddick was quite dissatisfied, saying Smart should have had at least one shot attempt in 20 minutes. However, he also praised Smart’s physicality on the court. Lakers blogger LakeShow Highlights complimented Smart’s defense as truly outstanding, noting that he handles even taller opponents with ease.

Born March 6, 1994, Smart was the 6th pick in the first round of the 2014 draft, standing 1.93m tall with a 2.06m wingspan. He was named DPOY in the 2021-22 season, selected to the All-Defensive First Team three times, and earned the Hustle Award three times. This summer, after reaching a buyout agreement with the Wizards, he signed a two-year, $11 million contract with the Lakers, with a player option for next summer.

Defense has always been Smart’s specialty. Even if he’s not as dominant as before, as long as he stays healthy, he remains the Lakers’ top defensive asset and is expected to start alongside Doncic, Reeves, James, and Ayton in the new season.

Smart actually has some scoring ability. Over his NBA career, he averages 10.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per regular season game, shooting 32.4% from three-point range on 1.6 attempts per game. In the playoffs, he averages 12.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.3 steals, hitting 33.4% of his 1.9 three-point attempts per game.

As for why this guy was invisible offensively in his Lakers debut, it might be due to just returning from injury, planning to focus on defense first to regain game rhythm before fully showcasing his skills later.

From start to finish, I believe the Lakers have a very deep roster for the new season, but unfortunately, competing in the fiercely competitive Western Conference is incredibly challenging.