Marcus Smart is heading to Los Angeles, and a Lakers insider believes the previous defensive player of the year should go straight to the starting lineup.
“I think Rui is the guy who should go to the bench because I think people tend to look at too many positions through offense rather than defensive shots,” Lakers insider Jovan Buha said on his YouTube channel.
Buha then expanded why Smart should start with Hachimura.
“I think the move toward me is obviously starting Marcus Smart on Rui,” he said. “I think it's a concern that Rui tends to perform better than the substitutes. But, at the same time, I think the starting group previously constructed is good enough on defense – not even enough defensive ability.
“This is my biggest focus on this group before Marcus smart signing. So Rui will have to figure it out as a backup player, or they end up flipping him at some point and then he figured it out somewhere else. But I don't think you should bend your starting lineup to the fifth or sixth best or sixth best, and everything around, and what's around.
“It needs to make sense in positioning, like, 'Okay, LeBron [James]Luca [Doncic] and Austin [Reaves] They are the three best players. So, where do you need? You need a center, edge runner, rim protector. Well, you got DeAndre Ayton. Then you need a versatile, switchable defense film – this is the Marcus Smart. So, for me, this is the most meaningful starting lineup. ”
Insider Marc Stein adds a layer of optimism about the Smart Fitness (and fitness) in Los Angeles.
“I also told me that cleverness (like Doncic) has been working hard for his body this summer,” Marc Stein wrote. “For Smart last season, conditioning was an undeniable issue, but the Lakers were convinced in the pursuit that they will see a stylish version of the 2021-22 DPOY.”
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