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Marcus Smart of the Los Angeles Lakers has been dealing with a back injury.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been without Marcus Smart since late November due to a back injury. Smart has missed the last six games, including Sunday’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Lakers coach JJ Redick told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin before their 112-108 win in Philadelphia that Smart is still considered day-to-day. Redick said that the former Defensive Player of the Year is “getting closer” to returning, with the team’s next game on December 10 a possible return date.
The Lakers return to Crypto.com Arena following a three-game road trip. They are set to welcome the San Antonio Spurs for their quarterfinal matchup in the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup. They would certainly need all the bodies they could get to throw against a young Spurs team that have won seven of their last 10 games without Victor Wembanyama.
Smart has not suited up since November 25 against the Los Angeles Clippers. The veteran guard is averaging 9.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game this season. He’s a vital part of the Lakers’ defense that has been subpar throughout the campaign.
Smart’s Injury Not Considered Serious
Speaking to reporters last week, coach JJ Redick wasn’t too concerned about Marcus Smart’s injury. Redick was confident that it was not anything serious and won’t be a lingering issue for the Los Angeles Lakers. Smart’s MRI came back clean and was tagged as a day-to-day.
“We’re not concerned long term. It’s a day-to-day thing. I had a number of those like week-to-two-week episodes during a stretch of my career when I played for the Clippers. It would just pop up and you would feel like you’re progressing and then it would kind of plateau. So we expect him to be back soon. It’s not a long-term thing,” Redick said, via Silver Screen and Roll.
Back injuries have slowed down plenty of players over the years, including Dwight Howard and Ben Simmons. At 31 years old, Smart is still in the prime of his career and doesn’t have a history of back problems.
The Lakers are sitting second in the West standings at 17-7 after their win against the Philadelphia 76ers. However, they are only ranked 20th in defensive ratings, so Smart will need to have plenty of help if they want to sustain their success for the rest of the season.
Smart’s Not The Only Player Returning on Wednesday
While the Los Angeles Lakers are getting a serious boost on defense with the possible return of Marcus Smart on Wednesday, the San Antonio Spurs could be more dangerous. The Spurs are reportedly eyeing the same NBA Cup game against the Lakers for the return of Victor Wembanyama.
The Spurs superstar has not played since November 14 against the Golden State Warriors after sustaining a strained right calf. Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News reported that Wembanyama was a full participant in the team’s practice on Sunday.
However, Wembanyama has already been ruled out for Monday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. He’s most likely return date, though the Spurs are still “iffy,” is the quarterfinal matchup against Luka Doncic, LeBron James and the rest of the Lakers.
Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He’s currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David
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