Dorian Finney-Smith has been at the forefront as the Mavericks’ defense evolved into one of the league’s stingiest and most efficient.
But the most notable upgrade in his game has happened on the other side.
In recent weeks, Finney-Smith has been dribbling more — as a ball-handler to start the offense, after rebounds in transition and in half-court sets off screens.
That’s by design for a 3-and-D specialist who seems to never stop improving.
With Finney-Smith emerging as a strategic option to take pressure off Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson, his importance to the Mavericks has increased — as has his leverage as the trade deadline and unrestricted free agency loom.
“If we can’t develop another dribbler, it’s going to be hard for LD and JB to bring the ball,” coach Jason Kidd said. “In the playoffs, they’re going to take away your best and your second best. If we don’t have a third guy who can dribble the ball past half court, then we’re not going to go too far.
“What Doe has done has been incredible — [to] be able to get the rebound, his teammates trust him when he’s bringing the ball up, so it’s just growth on his part. It gives him more value, he’ll be able to make more money, so it just goes hand in hand.”
Think the Mavericks’ December-into-January COVID-19 outbreak was the lowest point in a slow start to the regular season?
Think again.
That’s when Dallas thrust Finney-Smith into a position where his offensive control became as instrumental as his lead defender spot.
At one point in late December, the Mavericks played without point guards Doncic and Trey Burke because of COVID-19 and Frank Ntilikina, out with a left thigh contusion. The only traditional ball handlers available: Brunson and a couple of COVID-hardship replacement players.
“I was forced in that position,” Finney-Smith said.
Since their full point guard rotation returned, the Mavericks have still experimented with Finney-Smith running point-forward.
He’s averaging 10.3 points per game — on pace for what would be his first double-digit scoring season — while shooting 36.9% from three to lead all Mavericks starters.
The 28-year-old is still primarily a catch-and-shoot option, especially from long range. But 9.6% of Finney-Smith’s field-goal attempts this season have come off two dribbles, according to the NBA’s shot dashboard, up from 7.1% last year.
He’s also tallied 90 assists in 46 games this season — just 12 shy of the 102 he logged all of last year. Sixty-six have come since Dec. 1.
Finney-Smith tied a career-high with six feeds in the Dec. 31 win over the Kings, when the Mavericks were down three of four point guards.
Perhaps gaining confidence at maneuvering screens and making reads was the natural next step for Finney-Smith, who last season joined Hall of Famer Gary Payton as the only players in NBA history to improve their scoring average, field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage in each of their first five seasons.
“Sometimes [when] you just bring it up court, that’s all the feel you need to make a shot,” Finney-Smith said. “It’s hard to shoot the ball when you ain’t touching it that much, so just touching the ball a lot more, I feel like, helps me with shooting.”
What timing.
As the NBA’s Feb. 10 trade deadline approaches, most speculation about the Mavericks’ offerings — excluding Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis — has focused on Finney-Smith and Brunson.
Finney-Smith has been eligible since last summer to sign a four-year, $55 million extension, but he’ll likely have more suitors and leverage by waiting until unrestricted free agency this summer.
In the final year of a three-year, $12 million extension, Finney-Smith’s $4 million salary this season ranks seventh on the team and 242nd in the league.
A few factors might make Finney-Smith more valuable in Dallas than any assets the Mavericks could return in a deal.
He’s started all 184 games he’s played since Nov. 6, 2019, and the Mavericks have led the NBA in defensive rating in January (98.8 points per 100 possessions), almost six points better than No. 2 Phoenix.
Plus, Finney-Smith’s shooting partner gave him a strong endorsement Monday night after a nine-point, seven-rebound, four-assist, two-block, two-steal showing versus Memphis.
“He’s already an amazing player, but he’s going to be even better,” Doncic said. “He put the work in, and he deserves it. He’s efficient in every game, plays defense every game. Not complaining about anything.
“He’s the same if he had zero or 15 shots. We just glad we have him here.”
