Dorian Finney-Smith had his best offensive game as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night. In a vital game against the Houston Rockets for seeding purposes, Finney-Smith went 6-for-11 from beyond the arc for 20 points. All three are highs since joining the Lakers. He tied former Dallas Mavericks teammate and now Lakers teammate Luka Doncic for the game-high.
Finney-Smith has hit three of more 3s in four of the Lakers last five games, hitting 17 total in that span. It’s the most he’s had in any five-game stretch with L.A., and shows that he has been hitting his stride on that end of the floor while still maintaining his vital role in the Lakers’ defense.
Part of the reason for this uptick in offensive production from Finney-Smith could be some encouragement from Doncic, the Slovenian superstar revealed after the Rockets win.
“No, I just told him today, if you don’t want to shoot, I’ll shoot. You can ask him,” Doncic said. “I think he could have shot more. Three or four times he was open, he didn’t want to shoot it. It’s the only thing I told him. He knows how to tell.”
Luka joked that while Finney-Smith could be justifiably hesitant given the scoring prowess between Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, that’s not the type of player he is in practice. He followed that up with a genuine compliment for his friend and teammate.
“Yeah, but he talks shit in practice when he shoots with me. So, I don’t know why he doesn’t do it in the game,” Doncic joked. “But no, I mean, he’s a great player. Those players you need on a team. Never complain. You can play 48 minutes, play zero, he’s never going to say a thing. And he’s a fighter, man. I always love him, I always love how he plays, and just happy to be reunited with him.”
Finney-Smith responded to the same situation by saying that he’s not always looking to shoot, but appreciates the sentiment from superstars like Luka and LeBron.
“Yeah, he kept telling me that… I’m always one to make the right read, so if I see anybody running at me, I’m gonna make the swing-swing and they’re like ‘Bro, you’re the hot player. Shoot the ball.’ It feels good when guys like him and LeBron are telling me to shoot. It should be the other way around, shit,” Finney-Smith said.
One of the reasons the Lakers have been able to have success with such a seismic roster change in the middle of the season is players like Finney-Smith. In order for a trio like Luka, LeBron and Reaves to work, they have to be surrounded by defensive-minded players who are genuinely looking to make the right play instead of their own play.
L.A. has that in their 3-and-D wing.
LeBron James details what makes Luka Doncic special
Even before they became teammates on the Lakers, LeBron James has long been a fan of Luka Doncic. And that admiration appears to be mutual as Doncic grew up idolizing James and modeling his game after the now 40-year-old.
With that being the case, it makes sense why LeBron was a fan of Luka so early in his career as they both affect the game in similar ways.
In the new season of his “Mind the Game” podcast with Steve Nash, James broke down what makes Doncic so special.
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