INDIANAPOLIS \u2014 When he\u2019s on the court, Marcus Smart elevates the Lakers\u2019 ceiling. And the numbers back it up.<\/p>\n
The veteran guard leads the team with a 4.0 in the plus-minus. Smart tops the team in defensive rating, for players who have played at least 40 games, with a 110.9 score. He is a part of the team\u2019s best three-player lineup (statistically) alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves \u2013 posting a plus-7.1 in 30 games. When the Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons on Monday night<\/a>, Lakers coach JJ Redick relayed the obvious.<\/p>\n \u201cNot having Smart tonight killed us,\u201d Redick said.<\/p>\n In the last game Smart missed before Monday, on March 12 against the Chicago Bulls, the Lakers allowed 130 points in a 142-130 win at Crypto.com Arena<\/a>, their third-most points allowed in the calendar year.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish there was something I can praise about our defense, but I\u2019m not going to be able to,\u201d Redick said about the Smart-less Lakers nearly two weeks ago.<\/p>\n Smart has that impact on the team around him. As Reaves said Monday night, Smart is the team\u2019s \u201cglue guy,\u201d playing unselfishly, guarding the opposing team\u2019s best player and boosting the team\u2019s intensity on the court.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you don\u2019t have that, you know, it sucks, but it\u2019s next man up mentality,\u201d Reaves said.<\/p>\n Smart (right ankle contusion) was once again unavailable to play on Wednesday night against the Indiana Pacers, joining center Deandre Ayton (back soreness), forward Rui Hachimura (right calf soreness) and forward Adou Thiero (left knee soreness) as inactive.<\/p>\n