What JJ Redick said about Marcus Smart in 2020 shows why he’ll fit with the LA Lakers, ‘I love…’

What JJ Redick thinks of Marcus Smart

If the move goes through, Smart will be an excellent addition for the Purple and Gold. But what about his fit with Lakers head coach JJ Redick?

Well, it seems like that coach Redick already loves Smart’s playing style. It’s evident from what Redick said about Smart in an episode of The Old Man & The Three podcast.

“I love Marcus. If I make a basketball team, I want Marcus on it. He gets under your skin, he competes,” Redick said. “You know there’s a level of flopping in his game through the Marcus Smart Experience, but that overshadows all the other stuff that he does.

The current Lakers coach added: “He is a guy that just makes winning plays consistently… I just enjoy watching him play and compete like that.”

While Redick admitted that Smart flops during games, it is overshadowed by the upsides the 31-year-old brings to the court.

Smart averaged 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game last season, but as usual, he was a menace on the defensive end of the floor on most nights.

What LA Lakers need to do to sign Marcus Smart?

The Lakers are expected to use the bi-annual exception to sign Smart to a two-year, $11 million deal. It’s an incredibly cheap price for a former DPOY.

However, as things stand right now, the Lakers do not have room on their roster to take on Smart’s reported deal. As a result, they need to waive or trade players to officially welcome Smart to LA.

As much as Gilbert Arenas doesn’t want Smart to become a Laker, the organization has an easy solution to their problem.

They can simply waive Shake Milton and Jordan Goodwin to make room. Should the Lakers do this? Absolutely. After all, along with a defensive juggernaut, coach Redick seemingly thinks highly of him.