Trail Blazers head coach: The Lakers’ new star in the backcourt is omnipotent and we can’t guard him at all

In the previous NBA regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers at home 123-115. After this game, the Lakers' record, which had won 4 consecutive victories, improved to 6 wins and 2 losses; while the Trail Blazers' record dropped to 4 wins and 3 losses.

After the game, Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter accepted an interview with reporters. In the interview, he also talked about the performance of some Lakers players in the game. Among them, he specifically named the new backcourt player Nick Smith Jr. who performed well in the game. Split said: I think the biggest problem is that our shots are inaccurate. Our three-point shooting percentage is only 22%. This is not our true level. In addition, we failed to play our original defensive intensity, and our opponents were able to get easy shots very comfortably, including DeAndre Ayton, who also got the shots he wanted.

Split continued: Well, there is also that defender, what is his name? Yeah, Nick Smith Jr. He played really well in this game. His various performances on the court completely changed the rhythm of the game. We couldn't guard him at all. He showed a very comprehensive personal ability in the game. He can use mid-range jumpers and pull-ups to score. He can also feed Ayton the ball. His role on the offensive end is really rich. I must admit that his performance in this game was indeed outstanding. He was a key factor in the Lakers' victory in this game.

Smith was born in April 2004. He is 21 years old, 188cm tall and weighs 84kg. He is a backcourt player from the University of Arkansas selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft. In the NBA regular season last season, Smith played a total of 60 times, averaging 22.8 minutes per game. He averaged 9.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game. He also had 1.4 turnovers and 1.3 fouls. He shot 39.1% from the field, 34% from the three-point range, and 93.5% from the free throw line.

In this game, Smith made 10 of 15 shots and 5 of 6 from beyond the three-point line in 26 minutes and 52 seconds of playing time. He scored 25 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists and 1 steal. He also made 3 turnovers, with a plus-minus of +9. Since the start of this season, Smith has played a total of 3 times, averaging 19 minutes per game. He averaged 11.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game. He also had 2 turnovers and 1 foul. He shot 50% from the field, 50% from the three-point range, and 66.7% from the free throw line. Smith's performance in the previous two games was very average and he did not show his own characteristics at all. Everyone is not very optimistic about his prospects in the Lakers. Unexpectedly, Smith actually completed a big explosion in this game, which indeed exceeded everyone's expectations. I don’t know if Smith can build up his confidence through this game and perform better in the next games.