Nick Smith Jr. looks like JJ Redick after a 3-point barrage
The Los Angeles Lakers grabbed an impressive 123-115 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday despite having an extremely short hand. The The Lakers were without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves who sat out the second night of back-to-back games, but it was Nick Smith Jr. who got the chance, falls into more 3-pointers as a mirror of his coach JJ Redick.
During the Lakers’ win against the Blazers, Nick Smith finished with 25 points while knocking down 5 of 6 3-pointers. He also added one rebound, six assists and two steals in just over 26 minutes while shooting 10-of-15 overall.
After the game, Redick spoke about how crucial it is Smith was in his first big opportunity of the season, according to Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the LA Times.
“Nick Smith in the second half, he just took over the game,” Redick said. “We needed his handle and we needed his shift tonight. Honestly, it was a perfect game for him.”
The The Lakers acquired Smith when he signed a two-way contract right at the beginning of the training camp. Smith was cut by the Charlotte Hornets and cleared off waivers which cleared the way for him to join the Lakers. On a two-way contract, it’s likely he won’t get many more opportunities like this given he’s limited to just 50 NBA games per season.
But the Lakers did well in turning to a former first-round pick who has shown the ability to score since his college days at Arkansas. The No. 27 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Smith played two seasons with the Hornets.
He had his best season to date last year as he appeared in 60 games, including 27 starts, averaging 9.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Entering Monday’s game, Smith had appeared in two games for the Lakers due to injuries in the team’s backcourt.
The South Bay Lakers begin their season this weekend, and it’s likely that Smith will see plenty of opportunities to continue his development in the G League.
2025-11-04 06:13:00
