Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is close to making his long-awaited return to the court. James, who has missed the start of the season due to sciatica, practiced in full with the Lakers for the first time on Monday and could make his season debut against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday.
James’ return will be a massive boost to the Lakers, but it also raises one question. What exactly is the team’s best lineup with the 40-year-old?
Well, we know who three of the four starters will be with James. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are not getting benched, while Deandre Ayton is guaranteed to get the nod at center. So, there is one spot up for grabs, and the two men vying for it would be Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart.
Hachimura has started every game that he has been available for this season (13). The 27-year-old has impressed as well, averaging 15.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game in 2025-26 while shooting 57.7% from the field and 50.0% from beyond the arc.
As for Smart, he came off the bench for the first few games of the campaign, but has started the last nine he has been available for. The 31-year-old is averaging 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game while shooting 40.2% from the field and 23.1% from beyond the arc.
Hachimura has quite clearly been better offensively, but Smart might arguably have been the Lakers’ best defender this season. So, who do you go for? Well, when we start digging a bit, the answer seems obvious.
According to the NBA, the Lakers have a net rating of 16.6 with the four-man lineup of Smart, Doncic, Reaves, and Ayton on the floor together. The defensive rating of 98.9 stands out here, and it shows the 2022 DPOY’s impact on that end of the court.
Now, when we look at the Lakers with Doncic, Reaves, Hachimura, and Ayton on the court, that net rating drops to 4.6. This unit is slightly better offensively, but the defensive rating is far worse at 112.1.
If we look even deeper, the difference is actually staggering. According to PBP Stats, in the 44 minutes that Doncic, Reaves, Hachimura, and Ayton have been on the court this season and Smart has been off it, the net rating is -15.5. This is a small sample size, but it’s still terrible.
The sample size is even smaller when you swap out the two players in question. The Lakers have a net rating of 51.8 in the eight minutes that Smart, Doncic, Reaves, and Ayton have been on the court and Hachimura has been off it.
The data does indicate that Smart should be playing alongside that trio rather than Hachimura. It’s hard to imagine Lakers head coach JJ Redick benching the Japanese forward, though.
Hachimura has been the full-time starter ever since Redick took over in 2024. He has consistently delivered on the offensive end, and the coach might just stick with him in the lineup when James returns. Also, keep in mind, these numbers could change when the 21-time All-Star is the fifth player in the lineup. So, it will be interesting to see how this situation pans out.
As for James himself, Redick made it clear at Lakers practice that he’ll adapt well once he returns.
“I would describe him as very adaptable,” Redick said, via Khobi Price. “Not just in my time, he’s adapted throughout his career to the system, his teammates, what the game requires. The league has evolved; he has evolved. It’s why he’s still in Year 23 and coming off an All-NBA season in Year 22. I think he’s always been able to adapt.”
The Lakers are currently fourth in the West with a 10-4 record, and there have been murmurs that James’ return could potentially cause problems. The group might take a little bit of time to adjust, but all should be well over time.
