"Only gonna play like 30 games this year": Lakers fans frustrated as Marcus Smart suffers another blow and misses practice a day after returning

Marcus Smart was absent from the LA Lakers’ practice facility on Wednesday. The former Defensive Player of the Year suffered a fresh setback just a day after returning to practice. Lakers coach JJ Redick announced that Smart stayed home due to an illness after experiencing flu-like symptoms.

The former Boston Celtics guard had missed the start of training camp due to Achilles tendinopathy. He was also sidelined for the Lakers’ first two preseason games. After missing multiple practice sessions and tune-up contests, Smart returned to the court on Tuesday and completed an individual workout.

Just when signs were encouraging and it seemed the defensive stalwart was moving in the right direction, illness interrupted Smart’s buildup toward the regular season. Lakers fans were left frustrated as the star guard’s streak of bad luck with injuries and illness continued.

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"Dudes having a horrible pre season," a fan said.

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JJ Redick excited to work with Marcus Smart

Marcus Smart is known for his mental toughness and defensive prowess, the two qualities the Lakers were hoping to add to their roster. The Lakers signed Smart in the offseason to a two-year, $10,524,700 contract, and coach JJ Redick has revealed what he expects from the veteran guard on a nightly basis.

"Toughness. I already told him (Smart) this: We need his voice," Redick said last month. "That’s part of communication. His competitive spirit. Defensively, he probably went a little bit under the radar because of the last two years, but he still grades out in nearly every metric in the 80th percentile or higher. "So he’s still a very versatile defender. And to me he’s always been a very underrated playmaker."

Smart has yet to practice with his new teammates and there is no timeline for when he will start scrimmaging with the Lakers squad. The team is scheduled to play four more preseason games and Redick would like Smart to get at least some game action before the regular season tips off. However, it will ultimately depend on how quickly the star guard can regain peak fitness.

Edited by Atishay Jain