J.R. Smith, Dion Waiters find an easy early fit with the Lakers in the NBA ‘Bubble’ - OCRegister

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. >> There’s chemistry that players talk about, and there’s chemistry that they show.

It seemed telling that J.R. Smith, a Laker for all of three weeks, found himself video-bombed during a Friday afternoon interview with media by a masked JaVale McGee.

“That’s my boy right here,” Smith said, as McGee cackled alongside him.

In his short time as a Laker, the 34-year-old has made a lot of headway to ingratiate himself to teammates. From colorful Instagram videos of reading menus during the quarantine, to a round of golf with Alex Caruso — Smith has seemed to several teammates like one of the most upbeat players in the NBA Restart.

That seems to have everything to do with the opportunity he and Dion Waiters are getting to join a championship contender on the very, very back end of the season. Neither guard was playing much earlier this year — in the case of Smith, he hasn’t played an NBA minute since 2018. Simply being back in a practice environment, albeit a highly unusual one with many challenges given the restrictive nature of the Disney campus, has brought Smith a daily levity.

“Being around a bunch of guys who love to win, love to have fun in a practice atmosphere. Being around the trainers and coaches … I know how to be me,” Smith said, “And I’m very comfortable. And it felt so good to get back to that.”

The recent hits to the Lakers’ backcourt depth mean that Smith and Waiters aren’t just end-of-the-bench warmers: They’re likely to be real contributors, especially as Rajon Rondo begins a six-to-eight-week recovery process from thumb surgery. 

Both Smith and Waiters have experienced off-court drama in the last few seasons that have grabbed headlines and sometimes overshadowed their actual on-court contributions. But Vogel said in practice for the last week, their energy for basketball has sparked some intensity as the Lakers work their way back to competitive shape.

“They both bring toughness and swag — those guys are killers,” Vogel said. “They go after it with great competitive spirit and they have the talent to back it up and be highly productive on the court. They’ve proven that throughout their careers.”

Smith’s background with LeBron James is arguably the factor that has helped him blend the most. His years in Cleveland were the winningest seasons of his career. But he’s also seen an evolution in James, who notably grated at times with teammates like Kyrie Irving, or coaches like David Blatt. And the change Smith sees could help the Lakers stay grounded during the restart.

“I think he’s more relatable and easier to get along with,” Smith said. “Before he was always so focused on his drive and winning and stuff like that, but I feel like … that side of it is kind of off his shoulders, and he can just be him. He don’t have sit up and try and orchestrate the offense or the defense, or what somebody did wrong. He’ll let the coaches do their job, and I think that’s a true testament to him growing.”

The odd connection between the most recently acquired Lakers is that they were both pieces in a critical trade during the 2014-15 season that sent Smith to Cleveland and Waiters off to Oklahoma City. But Waiters said Friday that’s not really on his mind — and Smith playfully cautioned a reporter who asked, “Stop trying to start (expletive).”

Waiters would have gotten out onto the court earlier if not for the hiatus: He was just a game or two away from playing for the Lakers after being signed in March, he said. In the four months, he worked out, many of those hours in his garage gym. Waiters, who some teammates have taken to calling “Bubble Cheese” in compound nod to the Disney campus and Waiter’s “Philly Cheese” nickname, is the player mostly likely to receive minutes that would have otherwise gone to Rondo.

“I’ve been there before, I’ve been in this position plenty of times,” he said. “I think I’m ready. Just continue to keep working, continue to get familiar with the sets and things like that. But at the end of the day it’s just still basketball. I’ve been doing that my whole life. So just being ready when my number’s called, just going out there and trying to impact the game.”

Both Smith and Waiters are well-connected NBA vets, so coming back to the bubble has been as much a reunion as a business trip. Smith listed off connections from his past, like childhood friends Kyle Lowry and Marvin Williams. Checking on old friends in person (albeit from a distance) has been something he values even more after grappling with feelings of depression when he was out of the league.

But the bonds he will form with his current teammates could be the most important. And for Smith, it sure seems like he’s relishing the opportunity.

“So many people don’t really take advantage of those friendships that you gain throughout the journey in life,” he said. “I’ve built some unbelievable friendships from basketball. For me it’s just easier to throw myself into my teammates and people I see every day, just because I want to show I’m invested in them, and I would hope they’re invested in me.”

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J.R. Smith, Dion Waiters find an easy early fit with the Lakers in the NBA ‘Bubble’ - OCRegister
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