LeBron James & JJ Redick Discuss Dorian Finney-Smith\u2019s Impact on the Lakers<\/p>\n
While the focus has mainly been on the Los Angeles Lakers’ trade for Luka Doncic, their acquisition of Dorian Finney-Smith has flown under the radar.<\/p>\n
Since joining the team, Finney-Smith has had a significant impact, with his +162 plus\/minus ranking second on the team, behind only Austin Reaves. Although his shooting has been inconsistent, his defensive presence and leadership have been exactly what the Lakers need.<\/p>\n
This was especially clear during the Lakers\u2019 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, where Finney-Smith, despite scoring only two points, had a substantial influence, particularly in the game’s final moments. It\u2019s the little things\u2014offensive rebounds, setting screens, creating steals, and deflections\u2014that don\u2019t show up in the box score but still contribute to winning, which Finney-Smith consistently delivers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t win if Bron doesn\u2019t step up, and we don\u2019t win if Doe doesn\u2019t make three key plays,\u201d Lakers coach JJ Redick said after the game. \u201cI have another one that won\u2019t show up on the stats. Luka drives against the switch\u2026 Luka makes the layup. He finally gets the dunk, but then there’s the back tap steal on Kyrie [Irving] leading to a Rui [Hachimura] basket. I thought Doe played a huge role in making winning plays down the stretch.\u201d<\/p>\n
Redick, who has previously played with Finney-Smith as a teammate on the Mavericks, is comfortable coaching him hard.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Doe, sometimes he needs a little more than gentle coaching\u2014more like tough love, but he takes it and gets right back to work,\u201d Redick said. \u201cHe does a fantastic job of setting the tone with his toughness. Yesterday, we had fun defining what a banshee is in different cultures, and I think Doe fits that role for us, leading the charge with winning basketball plays.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Lakers have been searching for a reliable 3-and-D wing for several years, and it seems they\u2019ve finally found one in Finney-Smith.<\/p>\n
LeBron James, who has faced off against Finney-Smith in the past, also shared his appreciation for his new teammate.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew exactly what we were getting with him,\u201d James said. \u201cWe knew we’d see things in the box score, but also things that won\u2019t show up. He\u2019s a winner, making winning plays. Like those three key plays down the stretch\u2014getting Luka a layup with the screen, tipping in my missed floater, and getting a tip from behind for another easy basket. Those were some of the biggest plays of the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you have a guy like Doe Doe, you can always count on him to make winning plays, no matter what they happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
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LeBron James & JJ Redick Discuss Dorian Finney-Smith\u2019s Impact on the Lakers While the focus has mainly been on the Los Angeles Lakers’ trade for Luka Doncic, their acquisition of Dorian Finney-Smith has flown under the radar. Since joining the team, Finney-Smith has had a significant impact, with his +162 plus\/minus ranking second on the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2586],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lakers"],"yoast_head":"\n