Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick believed that Marcus Smart’s injury layoff cost the Lakers a win and ended their nine-game winning streak, instead of pointing to the team’s faults. The point guard was initially ruled out due to ankle soreness, but a series of other issues surfaced, weakening the defense and leading to a defeat against the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference.
Los Angeles Lakers Head Coach JJ Redick Opens Up about Marcus Smart’s Absence Costing the Win
Marcus Smart, widely known as one of the most versatile defenders of his generation, joined the Lakers in 2025 and quickly became a valuable addition to the team. For a guard, he achieved a rare feat by earning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. Flashy stats and major point-scoring performances do not measure the 32-year-old’s career, but his role as a two-way guard led all his former teams and the Lakers to success.
His role as a presence in the backcourt and a stabilizing playmaker alongside core players Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves helped the Los Angeles team sit third in the Western Conference and ride a nine-game winning streak.
However, his absence due to injury did not benefit his team in the recent Lakers–Detroit Pistons game. In a press conference, Redick highlighted that the winning streak coincided with the players being healthy, and Smart’s absence was the deciding factor tonight.
“We’re a good basketball team. I believe we are a good basketball team. Not having Smart tonight killed us. It’s important for us that we can get healthy,” he said.
The Pistons, with efforts from Daniss Jenkins, overcame 32 points from Luka Doncic and 24 from Austin Reaves to take their fourth straight win and seventh in the last eight outings. Doncic, who engaged in an altercation with Goga Bitadze in the last Lakers-Orlando Magic game, faced a one-game suspension since his technical foul count reached 16.
However, it was later rescinded, and he was cleared to play. Doncic’s mindset has been of a champion, as evident in every game of the ongoing season. The fastest Laker in franchise history to reach 2,000 points was unable to lead his team to victory.
Redick also felt that James, despite his record-breaking streak of scoring at least 10 points in his illustrious 23-year career, didn’t just aim to add to his own tally, the usual standard. Instead, he was impactful all-around, even going scoreless in the first half, which the coach believed was selfless.
“I thought he played a really unselfish game. Ended up with 10 assists. We missed him a couple times. … We ran some plays for him, and he did a really good job of not just trying to score and make the right play like he always does and got 10 assists.”
The 41-year-old picked up the rhythm in the second half, posting 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists, still not enough to overcome the Pistons’ dominant play throughout the night.
