Lakers forward Marcus Smart, who has faced Durant in playoff battles, describes Durant as “brutal” to defend and acknowledges the challenge of containing a player who moves like a guard in a big-man body. Smart urges his teammates to brace for a tough series and to stay poised under pressure.
Houston presents another hurdle, as the Rockets feature three additional players averaging 15 points or more: Alperen Şengün, Amen Thomspon, and Jabari Smith Jr. Smart emphasizes the need for the Lakers to keep games close, manage adversity, and avoid letting runs snowball, arguing that poise and cohesion will be crucial to staying in games.
Smart has returned from an ankle injury just in time for the playoffs, after a nine-game absence. He acknowledged his timing and conditioning will improve with a preseason-like stretch of rest, noting that his rhythm will come as the team uses the upcoming downtime to get healthier.
With Reaves and Dončić out, Smart, Luke Kennard, and James will shoulder increased ball-handling duties. The Lakers plan to rotate roles to prevent overburdening any single player and to avoid giving defenses a steady, predictable approach as they navigate the opening rounds.
Overall, the Lakers’ playoff plans hinge on staying composed, sharing ball-handling responsibilities, and executing under pressure against a Durant-led opponent and a balanced Rockets roster that can surge scoring in multiple ways. The coming weeks will test their depth and resilience as they pursue a deeper postseason run.
