+16 Minutes a Night: Malachi Smith's New Nets Role
With a teammate out, Malachi Smith is playing like a different rotation piece than he was all season.
Malachi Smith is averaging 16 more minutes a night over his last three games than his season mark, with a teammate sidelined. That is the jump from a bench role to a starter's workload, and it happened in 2025-26, as of April 12, 2026.
For the season, Smith has played 15 games at 23.9 minutes and 8.3 points a night. Over his last three games, that climbed to 39.5 minutes and 12.7 points. The minutes moved first, and the scoring followed.
For this to hold, the Nets need the missing teammate to stay out. A rotation gets rebuilt around extra minutes only as long as the spot that opened stays open. If that player returns to the lineup, Smith's minutes have no obvious reason to stay near 39.5 a night, since his season number, 23.9, was set before this stretch.
The scoring bump is worth watching on its own. Going from 8.3 points in a bench role to 12.7 points in an expanded one is a modest per-minute gain, not a breakout. It suggests Smith is producing at close to his usual rate with more time on the floor, rather than playing a different level of basketball. The next few Nets games, especially whenever that teammate is set to return, will show whether this was a real role change or a short absence filled by the next man up.