Lakers guard Marcus Smart expressed optimism about the team’s future during a Monday practice, emphasizing that the best period of the season is still ahead. Despite recent offensive challenges, Smart believes the team possesses the talent required to reach its potential, and he is confident they will improve as the regular season progresses.
Smart highlighted that health issues have prevented the team from fully clicking, noting the importance of players staying healthy to develop chemistry. He acknowledged the challenges of integrating different lineups but views this as a necessary step for the team’s long-term success.
“We’re good. The talent is there, we’ve got the pieces. It’s just making them mesh. We haven’t been healthy, which is a big part when you’re trying to get pieces to mesh,”
Smart explained.
He added that operating with different combinations on the court allows the Lakers to discover effective roles and strategies.
“Everybody knows that. But we’re hanging in there. The objective of it is that everybody in this league is coming around the right time, getting ready to play the best basketball you can play,”
Smart said.
The guard’s comments came after the Lakers were dealt a blowout loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday, scoring a season-low 89 points in a 111-89 defeat, reinforcing the urgency for the team to find cohesion.
Coach JJ Redick Accepts Responsibility for Offensive Issues
Following the Lakers’ disappointing offensive performance against the Celtics, head coach JJ Redick candidly accepted responsibility for the team’s struggles to execute their offensive game plan. Redick recognized that his approach failed to prepare the team to counter the Celtics’ deep drop defensive scheme effectively.
“When teams play the deep drop, we have our counters, and we just got to [execute],”
Redick explained, admitting he must improve the team’s response.
“I took ownership of that. We have our counters for deep drop. We got to do a better job of… we looked it up today. Our lowest potential assist games are all against the deep drop, so I got to do a better job.”
His acknowledgment underscores the challenges the Lakers face in adapting their offense to tougher defensive pressures, as they seek to regain momentum before the playoffs.
Looking Ahead: Lakers Prepare for Upcoming Matchup
Despite the recent setback, the Lakers aim to refocus as they prepare to host the Orlando Magic on Tuesday. With Marcus Smart emphasizing the team’s existing talent and JJ Redick committed to addressing offensive weaknesses, Los Angeles is focused on getting healthy and refining their lineups.
The team’s ability to overcome current obstacles will be critical in transforming potential into consistent performance. As Smart pointed out, being able to experiment with lineups and adjust roles could ultimately strengthen the Lakers’ chances of finishing the season on a positive note and mounting a deeper playoff run.
Overall, the outlook for the Lakers remains cautiously hopeful, with leadership recognizing flaws while stressing perseverance and adaptation as key to unlocking the team’s best basketball yet. Fans and analysts will be watching closely as the team looks to raise its game in the weeks ahead.
Marcus Smart on how good he thinks the Lakers are and how close the group is to being its best version: "We're good. The talent is there, we've got the pieces. It’s just making them mesh. We haven't been healthy, which is a big part when you're trying to get pieces to mesh." pic.twitter.com/2xlR7CE262
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) February 23, 2026
JJ Redick's response when asked about the Lakers' ball movement, and whether the lack of it makes them more predictable for defenses:
"When teams play the deep drop, we have our counters and we just got to [execute]…I took ownership of that. We have our counters for deep… pic.twitter.com/wwfRZ1OAXl
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) February 23, 2026
