Dallas Mavericks: Dorian Finney-Smith finally had a bad game

Dallas Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith used to be the player fans pointed at when the Mavs struggled. He has improved so much over the last year.

The Dallas Mavericks lost against the Miami Heat on Feb. 28. It was the second game of four straight on the road. Luka Doncic was also celebrating his 21st birthday on Friday. The Mavs had a party planned for after the game. They were hoping for a win to kick it off.

That was not the case, though. Doncic struggled with his shot and the Mavericks lost 126-118 in Miami. Seth Curry was incredible as he set a new career-high with 37 points on just 15 field goal attempts.

One player who struggled for Dallas was Dorian Finney-Smith. He finished with three points, three rebounds, and two assists in 27 minutes of action including missing all four his field goal attempts. DFS had five fouls and finished negative 21 in the plus/minus.

It is noteworthy because that is Finney-Smith’s first poor game in a while. He had 14 points, two steals, and three blocks against the Spurs on Wednesday. DFS was also a positive in the plus/minus in ten of his 11 games.

It is a testament to the improvements Dorian Finney-Smith has made. He is an every-night starter deserving of 30-plus minutes per game now.

Finney-Smith is shooting 37.7 percent from 3-point range this season. He does not appear to be slowing down either. Throw in his outstanding defense and Coach Carlisle struggles to take him off the floor.

It has been an incredible transformation for the 26-year-old. He looks to be on one of the best bargain contracts in the NBA. The Mavericks locked him up last summer to a three-year deal worth $12 million in total. Finney-Smith has already returned that investment.

Expect him to get back to playing well down the stretch and into the playoffs. Dorian FInney-Smith will be a key piece in the Mavs success too.