Lakers' Dorian Finney-Smith shares eye-opening take on being a LeBron James teammate
01/05/2025 11:55 PM
The Los Angeles Lakers finally pulled the trigger on a D’Angelo Russell trade, sending him to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith before the calendar flipped to 2025. Finney-Smith has long been coveted around the league for being a solid 3-and-D wing who could fit in any lineup, and the Lakers will be relying on him to provide some toughness, floor-spacing, and rebounding even if he’s still in a bench role as of the moment.
Finney-Smith has had plenty of battles against LeBron James in the past, as he’s been tasked across every stop of his to contain the team’s best perimeter player. And on the Lakers, that title undisputedly belongs to James. But now that they’re teammates, Finney-Smith can breathe a little easier, as he can simply watch James in all of his greatness while being secure in the fact that they’re now on the same side.
“Having fun seeing LeBron shoot the ball off one leg and s**t. It's fun to be here to see it and not have to guard it,” Finney-Smith said on Sunday night, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Dorian Finney-Smith on his early Lakers acclimation: "Seeing LeBron shoot the ball off one leg and s— … It's fun to be here to see it and not have to guard it" pic.twitter.com/rghzaNGEvj
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 6, 2025
But beyond the fun that is playing with James, Finney-Smith is expected to play a huge role for the Lakers in the looming stretch run. Even though LA lost on Sunday in heartbreaking fashion to the Houston Rockets, 119-115, the 31-year-old forward knocked down some huge shots, finishing with 13 points on the night.
Finney-Smith could be in line for a bigger role for the team moving forward depending on matchups. But the Lakers appear to be content in bringing him along a bit slowly.
Dorian Finney-Smith, now with the Lakers, should be back to being at his best
On a rebuilding team like the Brooklyn Nets, Dorian Finney-Smith’s skillset isn’t too valuable. Finney-Smith is the quintessential role player, a versatile and switchable defensive forward who has plenty of big-game experience that would make him quite the weapon for the Lakers.
Finney-Smith thrives when he can focus on doing the dirty work and hitting open shots on a team with contending aspirations. This was the role that he filled with the Dallas Mavericks, thriving alongside Luka Doncic especially during their run to the Conference Finals in 2022. Now with the Lakers, Finney-Smith can simply be his best self, as he can simply spot up on the corner, crash the glass, and work his backside off on defense while letting LeBron James and Anthony Davis cook.
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