The Los Angeles Lakers are well aware they’re the slim pickings of the Western Conference Playoffs. Teams wanted to play them before Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were back and the Houston Rockets won that lottery. That first round is going to look a lot like the LeBron James show with Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton as his supporting cast. As he’s coming back from an extended hiatus, the former DPOY ensured the Rockets don’t mistake the odds favoring them as a premature victory. He issued a fiery challenge to his younger teammates, framing the upcoming series as a challenge to the Lakers’ championship mentality.

Marcus Smart has missed the last nine games with an ankle contusion. But it appears he was able to join the team for practice as they have this Play-In week off. Speaking to reporters after the practice, Marcus made it obvious he’s prepared to be back on court and take on the Kevin Durant-led Rockets.

“They’re [Rockets] going to try to come in and punk us,” Smart said. “And if you will allow that, you will be punked. And I don’t think we have any guys that are going to be punked on this team. So, we might not be the most athletic and strongest, but we got to have the most heart.”

While he was sidelined for three weeks, the Lakers were on a rollercoaster. Their defense took a hit, they suffered two massive blowout losses to OKC, Luka Doncic hurt his hamstring and Austin Reaves suffered an oblique injury.

The playmakers will likely miss the first round of the series. It will fall on Marcus Smart to carry the team long enough for the duo to return.

And it would not be that hard. Smart brings a signature confidence to the Lakers that underscore his season averages of 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game on a 30.5% shooting and 33.15 from the arc.

Marcus Smart resets the Lakers’ mindset

Just before his injury, Marcus Smart made a declaration that some would think reeked over overconfidence. “LeBron and Luka don’t really talk as much, they’re locked in. Deandre Ayton’s my guy, he’s kind of all over the place, so I regulate that and make sure everyone else is good,” Smart said, effectively claiming himself as the locker room leader.

The simplistic assumption would be that Luka Doncic or LeBron James would dictate the tone of the locker room. But as Smart said, they have a serious case of tunnel vision.  So it falls on the other veteran to command the emotions. Rightfully so, JJ Redick says that the team chemistry suffers without Marcus on the floor.

Marcus has jumped to this responsibility as soon as he’s ramping up his return. The way the shorthanded Lakers respond will push the Rockets, with aggressive players like Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, and Tari Eason, to play harder.

By ‘punked,’ Smart is refering to the Rockets’ rugged style with a reputation for bully-ball. The Lakers have to be prepared to be shoved, avoid mistakes, and match their intensity.

Analysts and fans have written off the Lakers due to the Rockets’ superior athleticism. By framing the series as a battle of psychological and physical dominance, Smart is attempting to set the tone for a roster that has occasionally struggled with consistency during their 53-win campaign.