When the Los Angeles Lakers completed the trade for Dorian Finney-Smith, many were intrigued by what he could bring to the table. A 3-and-D wing in the midst of the best shooting season of his career, Finney-Smith seemed to address two of the Lakers' biggest flaws.
One of the primary reasons Los Angeles was interested in adding Finney-Smith, however, doesn't show up in the box score—but it has been on display early in his tenure.
Finney-Smith is off to a strong start to his Lakers career, shooting 42.1 percent from beyond the arc and thriving on defense. Unfortunately, his individual success hasn't yet resulted in the team showing sustainable signs of improvement—a truth exacerbated by the fact that it fell to pieces against the Dallas Mavericks.
Following a 118-97 loss to a Mavericks team that was without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the Lakers' newest arrival called the team out for their defensive shortcomings.
"We got to do a better job of talking behind guys, giving them confidence so defenders can crawl up in ball handlers and force them to the rim," Finney-Smith said. "And we got AD down there, so we got to use it."
In addition to what he individually provides on the court, Finney-Smith is emerging as the leader that Los Angeles needs on defense.
Dorian Finney-Smith calls Lakers out for lack of communication
Los Angeles has struggled to live up to its potential on defense throughout the 2024-25 regular season. It currently ranks No. 23 in defensive rating at 115.3 points allowed per 100 possessions—the worst mark of any team with a record at or above .500.
The issues have been prevalent in every phase of the game, with the Lakers ranking 25th in fast break points allowed, 26th in second-chance points permitted, and 28th in opponent points in the paint.
Against the Mavericks, the flaws displayed on defense all seemed to rear their head. Dallas buried 18 three-point field goals, scored 52 points in the paint, and routinely attacked Los Angeles' weaker defenders in isolation and pick-and-roll sets.
As Finney-Smith sees it, the Mavericks' success and the Lakers' generally poor play on defense can be attributed to poor communication.
Los Angeles has an All-Defense mainstay down low in Anthony Davis, but that hasn't been utilized to its advantage in 2024-25. Rather than working as a cohesive unit, the Lakers have forced Davis to wear too many hats and failed to support him when he's pulled out to the perimeter.
By following Finney-Smith's lead and improving communication, the Lakers could finally put an end to that issue and enable one another to be in the ideal position at the necessary time.
In the meantime, the Lakers will continue to be one of the most unpredictable teams in the NBA. They're inexplicably four games above .500 despite their negative point differential, riding waves of momentum to long streaks of success while balancing out brutal low points.
Thankfully, Los Angeles has a defensive player who's willing to call the team out for its shortcomings and lead by example during the second half of the season.