The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into their first postseason with Luka Doncic at the helm next to LeBron James, and are expected to have a real chance to compete for a championship. If they do go on a run, it will be because of the five-man unit of Doncic, LeBron, Austin Reaves, Dorian Finney-Smith and Rui Hachimura.
This group is new playing next to each other — Finney-Smith joining the team in December and Doncic in February — but has been lethal in their minutes. And perhaps one of the reasons for that is the built-in chemistry between the two players who didn’t begin the year as Lakers in Doncic and Finney-Smith.
The two spent 4.5 years together in Dallas between 2018-23 before the latter was dealt to the Brooklyn Nets. Before that, they played in three postseasons together, including their run to the Western Conference Finals in 2022.
Finney-Smith discussed playing alongside Luka in the playoffs and why it should be a fun sight for teammates and fans alike.
“It’s a sighting,” Finney-Smith said. “I already know bro is gonna come with the juice. He loves the moment. Knowing him, you probably gotta calm him down too because he’s gonna be barking. It’s gonna be exciting.”
He broke down further what makes Doncic such an exciting player in the playoffs and the demeanor shift that comes when he’s playing in a big moment.
“If he is close with you, it’s the same. But if you don’t know him much, he’s smiling a lot off the court and then on the court, he’s talking a lot of trash to the bench or whatever fan he picks out best and yells at them. It’s a sighting. He brings an excitement to the game and makes unbelievable passes. Like the Houston game, I cut thinking he was not gonna throw the ball to me. He threw it my direction and was like ‘What you think, I didn’t see you?’ And I was like ‘Yeah, shit.’”
Doncic has long been described as a big-game player, someone who rises to the occasion when the moment calls for it. And this postseason, with the Lakers in title contention, is going to be filled with those types of moments.
When Doncic makes the big play, one player who won’t be surprised is Finney-Smith.
Dorian Finney-Smith looking forward to playoff atmosphere
The Lakers forward has played in the postseason four times in his career and has only been out of the first round once. With that, Dorian Finney-Smith is excited about seeing playoff basketball in Los Angeles and the atmosphere that comes with it.
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