FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

The Los Angeles Lakers need Marcus Smart in the starting five because he can guard dynamic scorers and is making open 3-pointers. He opened the game against the Jazz on Thursday night with Austin Reaves out and played a crucial role in the win. The Lakers desperately need his defense, toughness, and energy. He isn’t going anywhere, despite rumored interest. Head coach JJ Redick must start him moving forward.

Injuries have been a problem for Smart. He played just 54 games in the last two seasons combined and has already missed nine of the first 26 contests in his inaugural season with the Lakers. Smart’s minutes should be monitored closely, but Smart is the piece Los Angeles needs.

The Lakers have defensive questions with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James in their starting five. Deandre Ayton is locked in as the starting center when healthy. The fifth spot is wide open, and Smart proved exactly why he should be that man moving forward.

Marcus Smart should be a starter for the Lakers

Smart had 17 points, four rebounds, one assist, and one steal in the win over the Jazz, but it was his five 3-pointers made and plus-12 in 28 minutes that told the story for the veteran. He fouled out in the fourth quarter, but Smart flipped the game in LA’s favor. Utah led for most of the game, but the veteran’s energy and shot-making were a must.

Smart was only shooting 30.5 percent from 3-point range coming into this game, but he made five of nine on Thursday. Since returning from injury three games ago, Smart is 14 of 28 from long range. Teams are leaving him open, and the veteran is making them pay.

The Lakers can’t seriously contend without a defensive improvement. Smart’s ability to check the elite scoring guards in the Western Conference gives him the edge over Rui Hachimura. It was Smart taking on the Keyonte George matchup against the Jazz. Coach Redick needs that option moving forward.

Smart won Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and has made first-team All-Defense three times. He may no longer be that defender, but his ability to draw charges, guard multiple players, and make smart plays is exactly what the Lakers need.

LA would love to trade for a 3-and-D wing at the deadline to give them more depth. Still, Marcus Smart should be the starter next to Luka, LeBron, and AR.

It hinges on Smart continuing to make jumpers. He seems to have no issues with wide-open looks, and there will be plenty of those with the Lakers’ three stars on the floor.

The Los Angeles Lakers have won their last three games with Marcus Smart in the starting five, and head coach JJ Redick should make him a permanent fixture in that group. They need his defense in the backcourt and the energy he provides. Rui Hachimura should move into the second unit. The Lakers need exactly what Smart brings, so this is an easy and necessary decision.

Luka said he needs to be more efficient and get others involved more and the very next game he puts up 45 points on 64 TS% with 14 assists and 1 turnover. Still needs to improve in other areas but he’s a work in progress— nyla (@nylaabell) December 19, 2025

TOP 25 TRADE TARGETS:1. Anthony Davis2. Trae Young3. Domantas Sabonis4. Coby White5. Quentin Grimes6.Kristaps Porzingis7. RJ Barrett8. Jonathan Kuminga9. Ayo Dosunmu10. Keon Ellis11. Zach LaVine12. CJ McCollum13. Malik Monk14. DeMar DeRozan15. Collin Sexton16.… https://t.co/6IuvnBiDzI— LakerTom (@LakerTom) December 19, 2025

MARCUS SMART TONIGHT 🧠 28 minutes 🧠 17 points 🧠 4 rebounds 🧠 5/9 3PT🧠 +12 +/-OUR GUARD STOPPER 🔐 pic.twitter.com/PanOUniB24— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) December 19, 2025

The Lakers hang tough late to beat the Jazz on the road 💪Luka Doncic:45 PTS, 11 REBS, 14 ASTS, 5 STLSLeBron James:28 PTS, 7 REBS, 10 ASTS pic.twitter.com/gkHeBGPt54— LakeShow (@LakeShowCP) December 19, 2025

Final stats 📊Luka: 45 pts, 11 reb, 14 ast, 5 stlLeBron: 28 pts, 7 reb, 10 astSmart: 17 pts, 4 rebJaxson: 16 pts, 3 rebRui: 13 pts, 3 rebJake: 12 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast pic.twitter.com/v8GRj0SDVj— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 19, 2025

“It’s Luka. Luka magic. It’s no surprise. He’s just so damn good. It’s ridiculous”Lebron on Luka’s first 40 or triple double as a Laker pic.twitter.com/wD1h3f6FGt— 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝑮𝒐𝒍𝒅 🏆 (@PurpGolded) December 19, 2025

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

After another prolonged downtime and a weird schedule pause caused by the NBA Cup, Lakers basketball is finally back tonight.

The opponent is familiar. The Lakers face the Utah Jazz for the third time already this season, which makes this a good moment to step away from the usual preview format. Instead of rehashing matchups we’ve already seen, this piece focuses on the Lakers themselves. What to watch for. What they can lean on. And what needs to start taking shape not just tonight, but over the next stretch of games leading into the Christmas matchup against the Rockets.

With extended practice time and a chance for some introspection, this feels like a moment where the Lakers need to send a response. A solid, convincing performance. Something they can build on after the encouraging change in approach and rotations against the Suns, while also showing real progress on the areas that have tripped them up lately.

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Lakers (18-7) @ Jazz (10-15) game facts
Rest: LAL on 3 days of rest; UTA on 2 days of rest

Ranking: LAL 13th in Point Diff (+1.7), UTA 25th in Point Diff (-7.6)

LAL vs UTA 2025-26 record: Lakers lead 2-0 (see Game 15 observations here, Game 16 observations here)

LAL injuries: Austin Reaves (OUT), Deandre Ayton (OUT)

UTA injuries: Walker Kessler (OUT), George Niang (OUT), Lauri Markkanen (questionable)

LAL projected starting five: Luka Dončić (G), Marcus Smart (G), Rui Hachimura (F), LeBron James (F), Jaxson Hayes (C)

LAL key reserves: Jake LaRavia, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Adou Thiero, Dalton Knecht

UTA projected starting five: Keyonte George (G), Svi Mykhailiuk (G), Ace Bailey (F), Lauri Markkanen (F), Jusuf Nurkić (C)

UTA key reserves: Kyle Filipowski, Brice Sensabaugh, Isaiah Collier, Taylor Hendricks, Cody Williams

Banshee rotation, hustle needs to carry on

Before the Suns game, I wrote about possible adjustments the Lakers could make to fix their defense, and the main suggestion was simple: increase the minutes for the so-called banshees. Jarred Vanderbilt, Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia, Gabe Vincent, and Adou Thiero. When his energy and focus are right, Jaxson Hayes belongs on that list too. JJ Redick was on a similar wavelength, reintroducing Vanderbilt into the rotation after a ten-game stretch completely out of it.

Vanderbilt responded with one of his best games as a Laker, a 15-minute stretch packed with havoc creation through hustle, defensive playmaking, and crashing the boards. Other banshees followed suit in extended minutes, and their collective impact was the main reason the Lakers were able to escape with the win despite a near-collapse down the stretch.

The Lakers need to show that this wasn’t just another occasional, flip-the-switch-on burst of effort we’ve seen from them in short stretches, but rarely for full games this season. With Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton missing this game, more minutes for the banshees should come almost by default. The key for the Lakers is to make this a longer-term adjustment and keep the minutes of the hustle units up even when Reaves and Ayton return. To do that, Redick will need to find ways to reduce the minutes for Dončić and James into the mid-to-low thirties, and potentially find a sweet spot for Ayton and Hachimura in the 25–28 minutes per game range.

The Smart–Vanderbilt perimeter combo

Another thing I’d like to see more of is a few additional minutes with Marcus Smart and Vanderbilt defending together, giving a clearer look at how a Lakers defense with more perimeter pressure could function. More possessions like this, with Smart starting as the primary point-of-attack defender and Vanderbilt either switching or creating havoc with gap help. Or the other way around.

I understand Redick’s concerns about the balance on the other side of the ball, where teams have been comfortable disregarding both and using their defenders to help off them and shrink the floor. But if there’s a game and an opponent to try this against, it’s the Jazz and their fourth-worst defense. They’re also a team that struggles to control the ball, ranking bottom five in turnover rate, so generating more defense-to-offense opportunities could be a very valid strategy. Especially if Lauri Markkanen, who is questionable, isn’t ready to go, I’d like to see the Lakers use Smart, Vanderbilt, and Vincent to apply constant pressure on Keyonte George, who averaged 30.5 points in the previous two matchups, for extended stretches and at much higher pickup points.

Even if this pairing isn’t sustainable in the long run, I think the Lakers need to see how lineups with more perimeter pressure and force function around Dončić, if only to add more sample to their future team-building templates.

Finding better flow and process on offense

Dončić has had a couple of rough shooting games since returning from his short but taxing cross-Atlantic trip to Slovenia. Like Reaves, who got a well-deserved week of rest, he’s looked a bit run down and less springy lately. Hopefully, with the extended time off since the Suns game, he can get back on track. Dončić has been under some justified criticism lately for his shot selection. He’s averaging a career-high 10.7 three-point attempts per game and is currently converting just 32.4 percent of them.

So a game, or better yet a stretch, with a more decisive and focused Dončić who looks to attack gaps rather than settle for step-backs feels due, and it would help the Lakers establish a better offensive flow. When Luka gets into the paint, good things usually happen. When he’s efficient and clinical in his dissection of less aggressive pick-and-roll coverages, adjustments and double teams tend to follow. That, in turn, creates 4-on-3 opportunities and a much smoother offensive rhythm.

Another thing to watch for is Redick moving Dončić and James around more — to the post, to the elbow, or using James as a screener even more. That added movement would bring variety and unpredictability to an offense that can drift into repetitive, middle-of-the-floor pick-and-roll attacks.

Jalen Brunson wins the Cup and the Cup MVP in an 11-point win over Wemby & the Spurs in Vegas:25 points8 assists2 blocks+15 pic.twitter.com/Ig7GBjLw7s— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 17, 2025