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Marcus Smart addressed the media on Tuesday, April 14 ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets, focusing heavily on defensive pressure, team identity, and playoff execution. The veteran guard leaned on multiple long-form answers that centered on physicality and response to Houston’s style.
On handling ball pressure and Houston’s defensive identity, Smart explained the approach in detail, saying: “First off, pressure with pressure, right? You know, their job is to put guys ball handlers on their heels. As a ball handler, your job is to not get put on your heels and keep the defense on theirs. So, with their aggression, we’re going to try to use it against them. A lot of just dropping by and making plays, got some things put in, got different ball handlers, guys want to bring it up. Got some bigs that are going to be there to help us, but just pressure with pressure. That’s really it.”
He also emphasized the emotional response needed in a high-intensity series, stating: “We went through a lot of pressure and we were able to come out and define ourselves right. And we’re still working but we’ve still been refined in that matter.”
When discussing rebounding and physical battles against Houston, Smart highlighted effort and mentality over size or athletic advantage, saying: “Willpower, you know, we’re competitors. We’ve been doing this for a while. We’re doing that at the highest level, right? And they’re going to try to come in and punk us. And if you will allow that, you will be punked. And I don’t think we have any guys that’s willing to be punked on this team. So, you might not be the most athletic, the strongest, but we got to have the most heart.”
Smart also referenced his personal background when asked about physicality, stating: “Yeah, for me it was just I just got to take them out. That was it. That was it. My brothers, that was their main thing. No blood, no foul. So, you know, I got hit with elbows. I got pushed. I got kicked. And it was all for that reason.”
On leadership within a reshaped roster, Smart explained the importance of consistency, saying: “Being able to come out there and lead by example, not just telling guys, showing them that, hey, things I’m telling you are things that I’m going to be doing myself.”
He also broke down the challenge of guarding Kevin Durant, noting the physical disadvantage and scouting familiarity: “KD like I said before you know he’s a guard in a big man body. I’m 6’3 and he’s 7 foot right so he has that advantage so that’s what makes it tough cuz he just shoots right over top of you don’t really see.”
With roster changes impacting offensive roles, Smart pointed to a collective approach: “We don’t have that luxury anymore. So, it’s going to be dependent on everybody. We’re going to lean on everybody. It’s going to be balanced… it’s going to take everybody.”
Looking ahead to Game 1, he stressed tempo and tone-setting, saying: “We know we got a team that’s going to come in and try to set the rules, right? And especially first game, you want to set the tone for that whole series.”
He also highlighted evolving playmaking responsibility across the roster, adding: “You’re going to definitely see some assists from other guys that you probably haven’t seen all season. And we’re going to lean on that because we’re going to need to have hot assist games.”
