During a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic spoke about defenders who give him the most trouble. One of the two players he mentioned, and the only guard, was former Boston Celtics Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, who is now Doncic’s teammate in LA.
Doncic said that Smart and New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones give him “headaches” on the court. Throughout the course of his time in Boston, Smart built a reputation for being a pest on the court, constantly getting into his opponent’s space and making them uncomfortable. For a guy like Doncic, who does most of his work with the ball in his hands, that’s not an enjoyable experience.
Luckily for Doncic, now, he only has to deal with Smart in practice.
Why is Marcus Smart an annoying defender?
Though Smart is entering the latter stages of his career, he’s still slated to be one of the best defenders on the Lakers’ roster heading into next season. For years, he anchored Boston’s defensive attack, but now, he’s going to do the same for its bitter rivals.
And Doncic’s respect for Smart’s defense is likely the reason he recruited him to LA in the first place:
“And when you get a guy like Luka, calling, referencing, checking on you, trying to see where you at to see if you want to come and join something special that he’s trying to cook up over here,” Smart told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. “And for him to say that he can really use my help, that meant a lot. Played against Luka a lot. Been on a lot of opposing ends of Luka magic. And to be able to come out and be on his side at this time, it means a lot.”
During his time in Boston, Smart quickly became a fan favorite. He led the Celtics for nine years, making the playoffs in every single season, including one run to the NBA Finals in 2022.
Unfortunately for Smart, the Celtics ended up trading him ahead of the 2023-24 season, landing Kristaps Porzingis in the deal. They went on to win the 2024 NBA Championship with the new acquisitions of Porzingis and Jrue Holiday guiding them there.
Smart spent some time with the Memphis Grizzlies, but injuries plagued his time there. Memphis moved him to the Washington Wizards last season, and he actually played well in the nation’s capital.
Now, the former Celtic is going to don the purple and gold.