"Steph is going to eat that lineup alive on opening night": Lakers fans react as $51,000,000 forward leads race to start over Marcus Smart 

The LA Lakers have a choice to make for their 2025-26 NBA season starting lineup. Four players are locked in to start, including Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Deandre Ayton. But the fifth starter is seemingly undecided. The two preferred candidates are Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart.

Both make compelling cases; Hachimura, who is in the final year of his $51,000,000 contract, has familiarity and experience over the past two years of starting next to James and Reaves. Meanwhile, Smart, who signed a two-year $10,524,700 deal, elevates the team defensively, especially at the point of attack.

According to Lakers insider Anthony Irwin's latest report, it seems JJ Redick's staff is leaning on Hachimura's experience with the starters over Smart's defense. Here's what Irwin wrote on Wednesday:

"Continuity is a factor, sources say. The Lakers will open the season with a lighter slate and are looking to rack up wins early so as to maintain a higher seeding in the brutal West.

"As four of the Lakers' likely starters do have chemistry heading in, the hope is they can use that to help Ayton get comfortable and jump out on teams through offensive firepower."

Anthony F. Irwin

@AnthonyIrwinLA

It's obviously very early but I'm told Rui Hachimura is the likeliest fifth starter. Story coming.

Two other factors leading to this decision are Smart's injury history and Hachimura's impending free agency. Smart has played a combined 54 games since 2023. As for Hachimura's uncertain future, LA doesn't want to lose him for free, especially in a contract year, thus they would prefer if he starts.

However, Lakers fans had mixed reactions to reports of Rui Hachimura being a frontrunner for the starting job over Marcus Smart. Here's what they commented on X:

Eug

@EugVibes

@AnthonyIrwinLA Was always the most likely outcome But man ... Steph is going to eat that lineup alive on opening night

Gnasher

@Gnasher1999

@AnthonyIrwinLA Obviously. Only guy who can reliably hit a 3 offball and benefit from the open space Luka, Bron, Resves and Ayton will generate. Marcus isn’t saving the defence when you have to cover for Luka and Reaves

Jasper

@Jazzpurrrr

@AnthonyIrwinLA Say bye to Defense 🫩

Three Level Scorer

@3LevelScorer

@AnthonyIrwinLA Makes sense, in a spirit of “Rui has done nothing to lose his starting spot”, and none of the new guys has the resumé to be a no-doubt starter. If they want Rui’s spot, they should earn it first.

Gregory Brown

@Gregory87616597

@AnthonyIrwinLA Lakers gonna get shredded on D. Gotta have at least 1 of Smart or Vando on court all times

bashir

@bashirrr_1

@AnthonyIrwinLA get ready for a bottom 5 defense and horrible bench again guys

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Rui Hachimura makes feelings clear about Lakers' starting lineup

Hachimura is willing to do whatever it takes for the Lakers. He's open to a bench role and believes what matters is who spends the most time on the court. However, Hachimura did hint that he prefers a starting role, even though he claims to be accepting of coach JJ Redick's final decision.

Here's what he said on Monday's media day (h/t Anthony Slater):

"I mean, it's coach's decision. It's not my decision. It's not really about who's starting and not. It's just the minutes and who can be on the court longer.

"I think it's — for me — just whatever the team needs me to do, but we've been building the chemistry that I've been in the starting five for two, three years.

"So whatever they decide I have to do, it's just a matter of the chemistry, how we can build and we can be on the court together and how we can give an impact."

The Lakers have found success with Rui Hachimura in the lineup despite the defensive challenges it presents - mainly against teams with shifty guards who are excellent shooters. The Warriors with Steph Curry are a prime example of that. Hachimura, James and Doncic all guard power forwards on defense, which causes the issue.

However, in the 2023-24 season, LA boasted a 26-13 record with Hachimura as a starter. In the 2024-25 season, the Lakers were 37-20 with Hachimura in the lineup, who started all 57 games he played.

He's been the team's most efficient 3-point shooter, making 41.9% of his attempts last year and 42.2% in 2023-24.