Mavericks: Dorian Finney-Smith is worth his weight in defense alone
Dallas, Texas — Offensive production pays unless it's Dorian Finney Smith taking. He is more concerned with stopping the opposing team's best player and bringing energy from a night-to-night basis. And as a result, he's proven to be one of the most valuable Mavericks in recent seasons. He got paid like it, too. "When you […]
Dallas, Texas — Offensive production pays unless it's Dorian Finney Smith taking.
He is more concerned with stopping the opposing team's best player and bringing energy from a night-to-night basis. And as a result, he's proven to be one of the most valuable Mavericks in recent seasons. He got paid like it, too.
"When you look at what he does on a nightly basis, he takes on top offensive guys every night and he doesn't complain," Jason Kidd said of whether Finney-Smith is an All-NBA level defender. "Dorian should be on one of the teams."
Finney-Smith is like a curveball pitcher. He won't wow you with outstanding raw skills. And he doesn't collect countless highlights. But he gets the job done, and he does it well. It's not blue-collar, but his game isn't high-class either. It's just fun. And when he has it going, there can be stretches where he gets put on an opposing team's best player, and that player seemingly vanishes from the game.
Finney-Smith must be a magic man. An All-Defensive magic man. And his best trick of the trade is turning opposing players into the versions of themselves after the Monstars took their talent.
The evidence for Finney-Smith
On 3-pointers and shots greater than 15 feet from the basket, opponents shoot 35 and 37 percent when guarded by Finney-Smith. That number is more impressive when juxtaposed with the difficulty of his defensive assignments.
Finney-Smith helped hold the Utah Jazz's Donovan Mitchell to 17 points on 19 shots (26 percent) Monday night. And after the game, all he could do was relish in his effort on the defensive end.
"I knew they were coming off of a back-to-back, so I was just trying to make it hard for him," he said. " I love to compete. When I am out there, I find joy in trying to stop somebody."
Finney-Smith is defense focused first, second and third
Finney-Smith first broke into the rotation a few seasons back because of his willingness to defend. As his offensive game has improved, his defense hasn't wavered. In fact, it's gotten better.
Against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, his defensive effort was pivotal in Dallas turning around a game without Luka Doncic, who was sidelined with a toe injury.
See for yourself.
Moments like the full-court steal against Sacramento are commonplace for Finney-Smith. He's made his money doing everything everyone else isn't willing to do.
Does that not make him an All-NBA level defender? If that isn't enough, there is also the fact that in the last week, he's locked down four All-Stars, resulting in four wins. Again, he's comfortable stopping the other team's best player. He takes joy in it. And few in the NBA love slowing the opposing team down the way he does.
Finney-Smith belongs on the All-Defensive team because his defense adds wins and value. And it's high time he got some recognition for the role he plays on a team that has one of the best records since that calendar turned to 2022.
"I let my work do the talking," he said regarding if he feels he deserves an All-Defensive selection. "I can guard one through five."
As of late, his ability to do so has put the league on notice.
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Feature image via Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports.
