Dorian Finney-Smith is criminally underrated

The ideal role player, Dorian Finney-Smith, was key to the Mavs deep playoff run in 2022. An ironman who played 80 games last season, and set career highs in points, assists, steals, and blocks per game, while complementing Luka Doncic perfectly. Although he’s a defensive-minded wing, Doe-Doe proved capable of hitting eight threes in a single playoff game, nearly setting an all-time Mavericks record held by Jason Terry. 

Without a doubt, Dorian was the most overlooked Dallas hooper of 2022, and easily the most disrespected elite defensive player in the league. Hitting shots and making cuts on the offensive end, putting up 11.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game, but his peak value comes on the other side of the ball. Guarding the best player on the opposing team night in and night out, while leading the offensively minded Mavericks to have a top-six defense in the league.

The regular season defense was evident to anyone who watched this Mavs squad often, but his defensive impact in the playoffs was unmatched. After a lights-out series by the Brunson-Doncic backcourt, Donovan Mitchell credited Finney-Smith for shutting down the Jazz offense saying Dorian “has all the intangibles, and he’s smart.” 

Dallas Mavericks wing Dorian Finney-Smith is underrated defensively

Finney-Smith is gaining more recognition from the stars in the NBA, but the greatest compliment Dorian could ever receive came when his superstar teammate Luka Doncic said, “I hope I play with him until the end of my career because he’s an amazing player".

And it’s not just the defensive impact that Luka loves about Dorian, but what he brings offensively as well. Finney-Smith had the second-best 3-point percentage on the team, at nearly 40 percent, and was second to only Luka in total threes made.

It’s only a matter of time until Dorian Finney-Smith gains the attention of the national media, but for now, he remains a hidden gem in Dallas.