"Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves' 24-year-old superstar, had scored just 14 points and went 2-for-15 from the floor -- including 0-for-5 in the 23 possessions Smart guarded him. The same Edwards who tormented the Lakers' wing defenders last spring on his way to averaging 26.8 points in the lower-seeded Wolves' five-game gentleman's sweep of L.A. had been stifled by Smart, the former Defensive Player of the Year."
"He wasn't supposed to still be locking up All-Stars at age 32. Not after his last two injury-riddled, irrelevant seasons. He played 20 games for a 27-win Memphis Grizzlies team in 2023-2024 and 15 games for an 18-win Washington Wizards squad a year ago, while his former team, the Boston Celtics, soared to a title without him."
"If he can change the trajectory at this stage of his career, after what he has been through, who is to say the Lakers can't change theirs for the last couple months of the season? Smart's attitude for this season -- one he has pushed the Lakers' star trio of LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and the rest of the roster, to adopt."
Marcus Smart, a 32-year-old former Defensive Player of the Year, joined the Lakers on a discount deal and delivered a standout defensive performance against Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards. Edwards scored just 14 points and went 2-for-15 from the floor, including 0-for-5 when guarded by Smart. This performance is particularly significant given Edwards averaged 26.8 points against the Lakers in last year's playoff upset. Smart's resurgence is remarkable considering his recent struggles with injuries and irrelevance, including playing only 20 games for Memphis and 15 games for Washington. His presence and defensive prowess inspire the Lakers roster to believe in late-season trajectory changes, demonstrating that redemption is possible at any career stage.
Read at ESPN.com
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