The month of April has been disastrous for the Los Angeles Lakers. Los Angeles will likely enter the NBA playoffs without its two most important offensive players in Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, with both players uncertain to return due to injury.
Each has already been ruled out for the remainder of the regular season. They are not the only players dealing with injuries. One of the Lakers most impactful contributors on both ends of the floor, Marcus Smart, has not played since March 21.
The 32-year-old veteran guard has been sidelined with a right ankle contusion, further thinning the Lakers depth at a time when they can least afford it.
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Ahead of Thursday’s matchup with the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers announced an update to Smart’s status, listing him as questionable for the game. It is a significant matchup for Los Angeles, which is trying to avoid falling even further in the Western Conference standings.
Given that Smart had been listed as out for eight straight games, the upgrade suggested he had made enough progress to potentially return, even if he remained questionable. Unfortunately for Lakers fans, that was not the case.
Hours before tipoff, the team downgraded Smart to out, ruling him out for a ninth consecutive game and leaving Los Angeles without one of its most important leaders on the court (h/t Dave McMenamin of ESPN).
Smart has been a strong addition for the Lakers this season after signing a two-year, $11 million deal in the offseason. He has started 53 of his 60 appearances and continues to take on the toughest defensive assignments while providing steady production offensively.
He has averaged 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 39.9% from the field and 33.6% from three.
With the Lakers shorthanded and facing a Warriors team fighting for playoff positioning of its own, Smart’s continued absence only adds to the challenge Los Angeles must overcome to stay alive in the West.
