Dorian Finney-Smith made his debut with the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 31 after being traded from the Brooklyn Nets. He was brought in to be a wing that could hit open shots, but more importantly, be a defensive stopper in JJ Redick’s system. And it’s undeniable the impact he’s had since his acquisition by L.A.
The Lakers are 19-8 in games Finney-Smith has played in since the trade. They have the fourth-best defense in basketball since that date to go with the 10th-best offense and the sixth overall net rating in the NBA. It’s been a night and day difference between when the Lakers didn’t and then did have Finney-Smith on the roster.
And Redick is fully aware of the impact that Finney-Smith has had since joining L.A. He broke down exactly what it is about Finney-Smith that has made him so important to the team’s success and credits him with getting the Lakers to where they are now, via Erik Slater of ClutchPoints:
“He’s brought a level of toughness. Certainly communication and the spirit to want to defend. I think guys have responded well to who he is as a player, a teammate, a person. He’s just fit right in,” JJ Redick said of Finney-Smith. “Our season kind of turned around, the energy and spirit of our group turned around when we got him. He’s been huge for us.”
The Lakers acquiring Luka Doncic will forever be the main story of the 2024-25 season, but the Finney-Smith deal was the first thing to get the gears turning in L.A.’s favor. And if the Lakers had not done that deal, there’s almost no chance that the Doncic deal would lead to championship contention in Year 1.
It’s Finney-Smith’s defense that allows the Lakers to have a real chance to compete despite not having a starting-caliber center, as he has set the tone for what the Lakers are doing both within the scheme and with his energy.
Bobby Portis: Bucks fired up to beat Lakers
The Lakers take the court next on Thursday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, a marquee matchup even without LeBron James. And while the Lakers will be motivated to end their two-game losing streak, Bobby Portis of the Bucks says the team has an even greater motivation than just a regular season win.
They want to beat the Lakers for Darvin Ham, the team’s former head coach who was let go in the offseason for Redick. It’s clear based on quotes from the Bucks and from Ham himself, that there is a feeling that he was treated unfairly by L.A.
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