Marcus Smart has built a reputation on defense, taking on the league’s elite night in and day out. But going into the second round matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, he admits there is one player who stands above the rest.
That player? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“Number one,” he said of Gilgeous-Alexander. “I think we all know that. He does a great job of getting to the free throw line and passing. That’s going to be a challenge for me. Not just me, but everybody on this team, to make sure we get out of trouble and keep him off the line as much as possible. And then keep showing your hands. It’s hard, but it can be done. It’s going to be very difficult to stay together.”
The reigning MVP has become one of the best offensive players in the game, and Smart knows that slowing him down won’t come from any one defender.
“He just goes out and plays,” Smart added. “When you have two competitors like that, one on the offensive side and one on the defensive side, it definitely makes for a good matchup. But yeah, there’s nothing you can really do. Just go out there and watch film and try to give up one thing for two things, nothing he’s going to get, you’re not going to stop your best.” But do your best and do your best.
Part of the challenge lies in the versatility of the SGA.
“He’s the MVP, right? We know. He’s been doing this for a long time. We know what he’s capable of and it makes him very dangerous to be that type of three-point shooter,” Smart said. “It definitely brings its own challenges but like I said, you can’t win every battle, you can’t stop everything or slow everything down. You have to be willing to give something up and you have to pick your poison.”
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