Marcus Smart Breaks Silence on Lakers Demotion

The return of Los Angeles Lakers star forward LeBron James seems to have breathed new life into a team that is finally at full health for the first time all season — or at least was before center Deandre Ayton suffered a knee contusion Sunday night against the Utah Jazz.

While James' beginning his NBA-record 23rd season is good news for all those involved with the Lakers, it means that there is one fewer starting spot available.

Guard Marcus Smart started nine games during James' absence after signing with the team late in the offseason. Now, Smart has been demoted by default, as James takes the guard's starting spot.

While Ayton did sit out the Lakers' 135-118 NBA Cup game win against the LA Clippers on Tuesday night, JJ Redick opted to start backup center Jaxson Hayes rather than shift his starting frontcourt up a position and insert Smart into his first five.

'Swiss Army Knife'

While many would be disappointed to lose their starting spot, the 12-year veteran is taking the benching like a champ.

“I like to [think of] myself as a Swiss Army knife,” Smart told the Los Angeles Times on before Sunday's game. “It’s not one thing I do great, but I do everything very well. … People come back, people get hurt. People have great games, have bad games. You have to adjust to whatever the game is calling for at that moment.”

In his nine starts this season, Smart has averaged 11.1 points, 4 assists and 2.9 rebounds while also serving as a reliable defender. Since James returned last Tuesday, Smart has averaged 17 minutes per game, scoring 11 total points, grabbing three total rebounds and dishing out a single assist.

While James' return has limited Smart's time on the court, the longtime member of the Boston Celtics said he's enjoyed playing alongside his former rival.

"We hear it all the time and everybody knows his IQ when it comes to this game is on another level," Smart told Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group. "To be able to learn and pick his brain and be on the court with him and reading him on the court, it definitely feels different. It feels good, actually, to play with another guy who can think the game just as quickly as I can and understands it more than I do.

"It’s great to have him out there and I think we all benefit from him being out there.”