Marcus Smart emerging as the likely fifth starter as Lakers shift Rui Hachimura to bench

marcus smart has started 37 out of a possible 44 games for the Lakers this season, and with Rui Hachimura shifted to a permanent bench role the team faces a concrete choice about its fifth starter as it heads into the second half of the season.

Why the Hachimura experiment ended

The lineup that paired Rui Hachimura with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Deandre Ayton failed to produce results. In 87 minutes together — the second-most used five-man unit of the season — that combination posted a net rating of -22. 4, a performance the team abandoned when Hachimura was moved to a bench role.

Marcus Smart's role and the guard-heavy look

Decision-makers are weighing positional labels against on-court fit. The hesitation about starting marcus smart centered largely on the fact that he, Reaves and Doncic are all listed as guards, but the team noted one of those guards is listed around 6-foot-8, undercutting strict position concerns. The three-guard look with LeBron James and Deandre Ayton has seen limited time — just 12 minutes together — and in that sample the group produced a net rating of -11. 5.

Coach JJ Redick must pick between LaRavia or Smart

With a clean bill of health bringing JJ Redick back into familiar circumstances, the second-year coach faces a choice: deploy a more traditional fifth starter in Jake LaRavia or stick with Smart in the starting five. The context in team minutes and ratings has already shifted Hachimura to the bench, and Smart’s 37 starts this season suggest continuity if the Lakers want to pursue what the article describes as their best shot to compete in the second half of the season.

Those are the concrete factors shaping the Lakers' immediate lineup decision: the 87-minute sample with Hachimura that produced a -22. 4 net rating, the three-guard experiment that has a -11. 5 net rating over 12 minutes, and Smart’s 37 starts out of 44 games. The next confirmed milestone is the coaching staff’s decision on the starting five — whether to open the second half with Jake LaRavia or Marcus Smart in the fifth spot.