One Memphis player to watch over the next week is guard Marcus Smart. League sources told me there has been plenty of discussion about the former Defensive Player of the Year in recent weeks. Lu Dort has taken the really jacked guy who flops belt from Marcus Smart - 11:17 PM

Smart continues to progress in connection with rehabilitation for a partial tear of the proximal extensor hood of his right index finger, which he sustained during the Grizzlies’ game against the Atlanta Hawks on December 21. Smart is considered week-to-week. -via NBA.com / January 10, 2025

Smart, 30, is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. He's a proven commodity when slotting into a rotation that includes star-level players. His playmaking ability is one of his most underrated skills, allowing him to become a connective tissue for any team he suits up for.