Marcus Smart is known for his defensive grit and for making life difficult for the opponent’s best scorers. However, he is currently recovering from an Achilles tendinopathy injury. Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers this year, Smart missed part of the training camp. But now he’s ready to start practice, join the preseason action, and find his rhythm in this new system.
The former Boston Celtics point guard discussed his recovery and the path ahead in a recent media interaction during training.
“It’s been a rollercoaster, definitely has, but it is part of the game. The staff is doing a great job of controlling what we can control over tendinopathy. Making sure we’re doing all the things to load it and get it back to used to be and increasing intensity.” Smart told reporters.
In the last two seasons, the Lakers’ guard has only been able to play 34 games due to injuries and health concerns. At 31, and with a career built on defensive hustle, it will not be easy for Smart to slide into his new role. Detailing his other health concerns, he talked about how having a child has affected his life.
“The stomach stuff happens, especially when you’ve got a one-year-old, so I’ve just been dealing with a lot. But overall, it’s been a great experience, and it’s only going to continue from here,” he revealed.
This week, Smart was able to attend a full practice after a long while. Even though the Lakers will be monitoring the situation closely and managing his minutes carefully, the gritty guard will be able to debut for the Lakers and sees himself playing in the preseason at some point.
“We’re taking it day by day, but today was a good day to be out there. Full practice, with no issues and no restraints.. We have been seeing (reaggravation issues) in this league. So be as cautious as possible. I plan to play during the preseason, just don’t know when,” Smart offered when asked if he’ll play the Sunday game against the Golden State Warriors.
Achilles has been an aggravating issue for NBA athletes in recent times. Especially during last year’s playoffs, we saw multiple stars go down with this specific injury. Most famously, Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles tendon during Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Dejounte Murray, Damian Lillard, and Jayson Tatum have all gone down with Achilles injuries in the last year. Smart is cognizant of these instances and will take further steps with caution.
“Just making sure you’re not putting yourself at an extra risk. These types of things make you feel better than you are sometimes. And with our counterparts and colleagues, seeing the things that they’ve been through, you just wanna make sure it doesn’t happen to you.” Smart added.
The 31-year-old played only 34 games last season for the Memphis Grizzlies and the Washington Wizards, combined. He averaged 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists along with 1.1 steals every game. Due to injuries and availability issues, his minutes went down from 30+ minutes in 2023-24 to 20+ in 2024-25. But he did shoot 34.8% from the three, which makes him ideal for his three-and-D role with the Lakers.
The Lakers won’t need him to be the defensive force that he’s been in the past, nor take up a lot of offensive load. He’ll be slowly reeled into the lineups and combinations, and obviously help out with providing veteran leadership in the locker room. With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves going at it on one end, the Lakers need a strong backcourt defensively. A fully fit Marcus Smart perfectly fits that position.
