Marcus Smart RETURNING for Lakers? Plus, the Vando-JJ CONFLICT, Minutes for Thiero?

The Lakers will get some welcome relief on Thursday in San Francisco, with LeBron James returning to the lineup, and at least the possibility of Marcus Smart joining him. For a game the Lakers need to win if they want to hold on to the 4 seed and home court advantage in the first round, this will be a big boost. Especially since the Warriors could be without... well, almost everyone. Steph might not play, Kristaps Porzingis won't, Al Horford won't and so on. And mentally, the Lakers need to see some proof of concept that they can win a game or two without Luka and Reaves before the playoffs start. Lose five or six in a row, and it's hard to convince yourself that things will turn around in Game 1. Meanwhile, what's JJ Redick doing, from a coaching standpoint? Is he driving guys too hard? Trying to raise expectations and accountability? Is he pulling the right strings? Will there be any fallout from the dustups during Tuesday's loss? Finally, is Adou Thiero a sneaky candidate ...