It was only a matter of time until the Los Angeles Lakers dove headfirst into the NBA’s trade waters, and on Sunday they finally made their first move of the season. They sent D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-r0und picks to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. There’s a lot to unpack here, but the most important question for Lakers fans is this: Will adding Finney-Smith make a difference in the team’s outlook this season?
Advertisement
There are myriad reasons to believe that it will. Lakers head coach JJ Redick has spoken of his love for Finney-Smith’s all-around game before, once saying on his podcast ‘The Old Man and the Three’, “He’s a player that could fit on any team in the NBA. I think he’s incredibly valuable” before talking about a defensive hustle play that Finney-Smith made while they were teammates on the Mavericks that propelled them to a win against the Bucks.
Found this old gem of JJ talking about DFS.
Need it, man. pic.twitter.com/haf1CsFXLs
— 🎯 (@KnechtFromDeep) December 29, 2024
The Lakers have been looking for a player to fit next to LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves, and it was clear that Russell had fallen out of favor after being demoted to the bench almost two months ago. By trading him and three second-rounders for a two-way player like Finney-Smith, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka paid a small price to make a big move.
Dorian Finney-Smith’s spacing and movement
Offensively, DoDo is an ideal fit for this Lakers team. Unlike Russell, he’s not a ball-dominant player, but it’s all the complementary things he does that make a difference. LeBron and Reaves, who currently combine for 14.5 assists per game will love the way he cuts without the ball, and his shooting will help open the floor for everyone else.
This is Finney-Smith’s ninth year in the league. He’s always been a useful role player, but this season he’s taken his marksmanship to a new level. His 43.5 percent three-point shooting is the best mark of his career, and nearly all of his shots have come on catch-and-shoots. With LeBron and AD commanding the defense’s attention, that should leave plenty of open looks.
DFS’s perimeter defense
Russell was only shooting 33.3 percent from three this year, so already Finney-Smith is a big upgrade in that department. Even if the shooting numbers were a wash though, what the Lakers have really needed is someone who can play defense, and while that was never Russell’s forte, it’s been Finney-Smith’s calling card for years.
The Lakers have just the 20th-best defensive rating in the league, a mark that puts them below even the lowly Hornets. Though Davis can more than hold his own on the inside, scoring guards have been able to torch the Lakers from the perimeter.
Finney-Smith is six-foot-seven with nearly a seven-foot wingspan, which gives him the ability to defend multiple positions and contest outside shots in a way that Russell never could. He also has one of the best motors in the league, which should immediately make a difference for a Lakers defense that has mostly looked like it’s just been going through the motions this year.
Will JJ Redick use DFS appropriately?
Redick’s past experience with Finney-Smith as a teammate should make him uniquely suited to utilizing the former Florida Gator’s talents. Redick’s motion offense, with its emphasis on screening actions near the corners, should spring DFS for plenty of open looks from three. Finney-Smith’s own cutting ability will help, as defenses will have to respect his willingness to make a backdoor cut, as well.
Finney-Smith does all the little things that winning teams need to succeed, and he’s a big reason why the Nets, who were picked by many to finish near the bottom of the league, have been much more competitive than expected this year. He’ll immediately raise the Lakers’ defensive floor and ceiling, and though he’s not as big a name as LeBron or Anthony Davis, the intensity he plays with will instantly command respect in the locker room.
Redick’s love for DFS as a player should put Lakers fans at ease that he’ll use him correctly. Finney-Smith’s toughness is just what this team needs, and his acquisition is a sure sign that the Lakers are planning on making a push this year.
