Smart has all the trust in LeBron to carry them.
The Los Angeles Lakers took care of business in Game 1 against the Houston Rockets on Saturday night, and it was not hard to figure out why.
LeBron James set the tone early with his passing, and the rest of the roster followed.
The final score read 107-98, with the Lakers playing some of their best basketball all season despite missing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
After the game, Marcus Smart spoke about what makes James so effective as a leader and what it means for a team still adjusting without its two biggest backcourt weapons.
"He Elevates Us"
"He is and who he's always been, a leader," Smart said. "He instills trust in his guys... The word we using now is elevate. He elevates us, to see a guy of his status being able to turn down shots to get other guys going, and then picking and choosing when he has his time."
It showed up early and often on Saturday. James dished out eight assists in the first quarter alone, a career playoff high for any single quarter.
He finished with 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds while the offense ran through him in a way that made everyone around him better.
The Lakers shot 60.6 percent from the field as a team, and all five starters scored in double figures because James kept moving the ball and creating open looks.
Luke Kennard benefited the most from that unselfish approach, pouring in a career-high 27 points on 9-for-13 shooting while going a perfect 5-for-5 from deep.
Deandre Ayton added 19 points and Rui Hachimura chipped in 14, but the Lakers' ability to find the right guy at the right time started with James being willing to facilitate rather than force.
Smart Delivers on Both Ends
Smart backed it up himself in Game 1, finishing with 15 points and eight assists while playing physical, tone-setting defense.
The former Defensive Player of the Year averaged 9.5 points and 2.8 assists across 53 starts this season, but Saturday felt like a different gear entirely with the backcourt thinned out.
His feel for creating looks for Ayton in particular stood out, and the results showed with Ayton shooting 8-of-10 from the floor.
A Team That Believes
The Lakers finished the regular season 53-29 as the fourth seed in the West, while the Rockets went 52-30 and earned the fifth seed.
Houston was without Kevin Durant due to a knee injury, which shifted the dynamic significantly, but the Lakers still had to show they could hold things together without their primary backcourt duo.
They answered that in a big way.
James, now in his 23rd NBA season, has seen everything the playoffs can throw at a player.
This is a team that trusts where the ball is going and trusts who is leading them there.
Game 2 tips off Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.