Lakers forward gate: Smart is in pretty good shape. He dares to express himself and is good at communicating on the court.

According to Orange County Register reporter Khobi Price, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick told him that the team’s new backcourt player Marcus Smart has participated in some of the team’s training activities. Previously, due to the impact of Achilles tendonitis, Smart has not been able to fully devote himself to various training camp training activities.

In an interview with Los Angeles Times reporter Broderick Turner, Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt also talked about Smart's situation. Vanderbilt said: I observed his performance and he seemed to be in pretty good shape. He was moving very fast. But like I said, his greatest value is his voice, which is also the greatest help he can provide to the team. Communication on the court is also a key part of defense, and playing more aggressively is part of that, but speaking up and being good at communication is also very important. I think his abilities in this area are top-notch, so I believe he is absolutely capable of providing us with great help and support on both offense and defense. I am absolutely convinced of this.

In the NBA regular season last season, Vanderbilt was affected by injuries and only played 36 times in 82 games, averaging 16.1 minutes per game. The data were 4.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1 steal, 0.3 blocks, 0.8 turnovers and 1.9 fouls. The shooting percentage was 48.8%, the three-point shooting percentage was 28.1%, and the free throw percentage was 55.6%. In the playoffs, Vanderbilt played a total of 5 times, averaging 12 minutes per game. He averaged 1.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1 assist, 0.6 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game. He also had 0.6 turnovers and 1.8 fouls. He shot 33.3% from the field, 0% from three-point range, and 75% from the free throw line. In the NBA regular season last season, Smart played 34 times for the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards, averaging 20 minutes per game. He averaged 9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game. He also had 1.6 turnovers and 1.6 fouls. He shot 39.3% from the field, 34.8% from the three-point range, and 76.1% from the free throw line.

This summer, Smart completed a buyout with his old club, the Wizards, and then signed a two-year contract with the Lakers worth $11 million. Smart and Vanderbilt are both indispensable defensive gates for the team. They both have outstanding personal defensive abilities, and their performance will determine the team's performance to a large extent. However, the physical condition of both players is somewhat worrying. They both missed a large number of games due to injuries last season. Next, we can also take a look at how Smart's injury situation is. Can he recover from injury in time and show enough competitiveness?