The Los Angeles Lakers adding Marcus Smart definitely helps. But let’s not confuse a band-aid with actual healing.
The Lakers have a defensive problem, and it is not the kind that goes away after just one move. For two seasons now, they have pretty much lacked a real point-of-attack defender.
Someone who can take the toughest backcourt matchup every night, survive switches, and hold the line against the NBA’s best guards. Smart fits that mold, in theory. But in practice, there is a chance he is not built to carry that burden anymore, at least not alone.