Marcus Smart previews his playoff matchup with Kevin Durant.
The Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs in a matchup between two of the greatest players in NBA history.
For potentially the final time, LeBron James and Kevin Durant will meet again in the playoffs, their first battle since LeBron was leading the Cleveland Cavaliers and Durant was alongside the Golden State Warriors in 2018.
While all eyes will be on the marquee matchup between the future Hall of Famers, it is unlikely that LeBron will spend much time guarding Durant given the offensive load he will have to carry with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves out of the lineup.
Instead, Marcus Smart will likely see the most time on KD.
Marcus Smart Speaks
Speaking to the media ahead of the playoffs, Smart was asked about the task of guarding KD.
“Brutal. It’s brutal, man. It’s brutal. I mean, dude is one of the greatest to play this game and he moves like a guard with a big man's body …” he said.
Durant is one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, climbing to fifth all-time in scoring this past season. In the playoffs, he's the seventh leading scorer of all-time.
Along with his guard-like handle that helps him get to the rim, Durant uses his lengthy frame to overmatch opponents on the block, easily shooting over smaller defenders. Durant is listed at 6'11'' while Smart is listed at 6'3''.
In his first season with the Rockets, Durant once again provided consistency and efficiency on offense, averaging 26 points on 52% shooting from the field, 41% from three, and 87% from the free throw line.
Durant vs. Smart
While Durant will have the size advantage on Smart, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year is one of the toughest and most battle-tested defenders in the league.
In three games against the Rockets this season, the Lakers held Durant below his average in scoring, winning the season series 2-1. In the Christmas Day victory by the Rockets, Smart came off the bench.
In the two March games, Durant scored 18 points in each game, and though he shot the ball efficiently (7-11 and 8-16), he was hounded by Smart and the Lakers defense to deny him his usual touches.
Things will be much tougher for the Lakers and Smart in the playoffs than they were in those March games as they will be without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for at least a portion of their first round showdown with Houston.