Dorian Finney-Smith changes hoop from unwanted to prized at Mavs practice facility

The Dallas Mavericks signed Dorian Finney-Smith as an undrafted free agent in 2016, and he fought his way onto the team and into the rotation as a rookie. The 6’7 wing has gotten better every year. From bench option to prized 3-and-D wing, Finney-Smith has remade his jumper and become one of the most underrated defenders in the league.

Dallas Morning News reporter Callie Caplan spotted a chain net at the Mavericks practice facility on Nov. 1, but nobody was willing to share why. Fans have seen superstar Luka Doncic and others working on the net, but nobody knew why the team changed it from nylon to chain until Sunday.

Finney-Smith spilled the beans on the new net, and he had a hand in the change. Here is a look at why and how it parallels Doe-Doe’s NBA story.

 Dorian Finney-Smith changes hoop at Dallas Mavericks practice facility from unwanted to prized

Callie Caplan got the scoop from Finney-Smith on Nov. 7, and it was a fantastic story. See the entire quote below.

Everybody remembers shooting on the chain nets at the park as a child, and the Mavericks coaching staff brought that to their practice facility on the special goal. Just like Finney-Smith, that hoop has gone from unwanted to a prized asset. Expect to see Luka Doncic and the other Mavericks compete to see who gets to use the chain net every day at practice.

Head coach Jason Kidd has been open to ideas from his players since taking over in the summer of 2021. They formed the leadership council and have made subtle changes to the practice facility to make things more fun. Kidd has focused on chemistry, and it paid off during the team’s run to the conference finals. The chain net is just one more thing that will bring the team closer moving forward.

It has been a quiet start to the season for Dorian Finney-Smith. He is shooting just 30.6 percent from 3-point range and his counting stats are down across the board through eight games but do not worry. Doe-Doe will start making shots and his numbers will rise as opposing teams sell out to stop Luka Doncic.

He will continue to bring the defense and shot-making for the Dallas Mavericks this season. Expect him to stay underrated, but MFFLs know how important he is to the team. Stay tuned to see where Finney-Smith improves next.