Lakers backcourt new player: I will provide the highest defensive intensity, I want to go back to that familiar stage

The Los Angeles Lakers have officially announced that they have officially completed the signing with backcourt player Marcus Smart. Afterwards, Smart also accepted an interview with reporters, and he also talked about what he hoped to do when he joined the Lakers.

Smart said: All I want to do is continue to be myself and continue to do what I can do on the court. I will be a tough defender, I will give the team the highest defensive intensity I can come up with, I will show the team my leadership and basketball IQ, and at the same time, I will continue to be that annoying person I have been. Smart continued: For me, pursuing the championship is my ultimate goal, and I will do my best to do it. So I want to return to that familiar big stage and join a team that recognizes my abilities and allows me to realize my value. I know my abilities, I also know the impact I can bring to the team, I can still provide great help on the court, and the Lakers can be said to be a perfect team for me at the moment.

Smart also said: I think we are fully capable of competing with those top teams in the league, and our competitiveness is no worse than them, and we also have great potential to explore. I think our team has no ceiling. If everyone can maintain that kind of focused and dedicated attitude and everyone can do their part, we will have a very good opportunity to achieve our goals. From my point of view, I can now say that I am full of motivation.

In the NBA regular season last season, Smart played 34 times for the Memphis Grizzlies and the Washington Wizards, averaging 20 minutes per game, with averaging 9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocks, and 1.6 turnovers and 1.6 fouls. His shooting percentage was 39.3%, a three-point shooting percentage of 34.8%, and a free throw shooting percentage of 76.1%. According to previous news, Smart and the Wizards completed the buyout and then signed a two-year contract with the Lakers with a total amount of $11 million. Smart's salary for the Lakers will be $5.1 million next season. Considering Smart's poor performance last season, he chose to leave the Wizards and join the more competitive Lakers to save his career. Smart needs to find the level of the top outside defense when he played for the Boston Celtics, otherwise it will not be easy for him to get a contract that exceeds the base salary in the NBA in the future. I don’t know what role Smart will play in the Lakers next season and what performance he will play.