The Brooklyn Nets obtained ahead Dorian Finney-Smith as a part of the Kyrie Irving commerce bundle earlier this month, and whereas he will not be a celebrity, the Virginia native may nonetheless be the Nets’ X-factor because the season winds down.
Recognized primarily for his defensive prowess, Finney-Smith has already helped change the way in which Brooklyn competes. The Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving-led Nets have been a squad that wanted to shoot the lights out to be able to win video games. Finney-Smith, Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Nic Claxton, and others make up a roster that’s extra apt to welcome a defensive slug feat. Finney-Smith is arguably the most effective perimeter defender of the bunch and got here to NYC in hopes of elevating Brooklyn’s degree of play.
“I plan on guarding the most effective participant on the courtroom, I take the problem in that,” Finney-Smith informed the New York Submit earlier this month. “You ain’t received to attract up a play for me. I’m going to seek out methods to get entangled and be aggressive. Only a successful mentality, I’m going to carry that to the staff.”
Finney-Smith’s dedication to being a primary defender has already made a legit distinction for Brooklyn when it comes to construction and technique. In a latest win over the Chicago Bulls, the 29-year-old was +32 regardless of solely scoring 9 factors on a 4-10 capturing day. This type of efficiency factors to a different approach by which Finney-Smith could make his mark.
Dorian-Finney Smith will help the Nets fill the offensive void.
With the exit of Durant and Irving, the Nets are a staff looking for buckets. Bridges’ 45-point outburst towards the Miami Warmth final Wednesday may very well be an indication of issues to return, however Brooklyn will nonetheless have to get various offensive contributions to fill the void.
Gamers resembling Cam Thomas, Spencer Dinwiddie, and the aforementioned Cam Johnson will definitely present scoring, however a rise in Finney-Smith’s offensive manufacturing may show crucial. He’s at present averaging 8.9 factors per recreation with a 53.8 efficient discipline objective proportion. Additional, he’s capturing just below 35% from behind the arc whereas solely making an attempt round 5 threes per recreation. One may argue Finney-Smith is able to doing extra.
Whereas nobody would dare say that the previous Gator will remodel into the primary scoring possibility, it’s fairly doable {that a} slight improve in offensive aggression may result in extra factors for Brooklyn. If Finney-Smith can dare to shoot extra from behind the arc and elsewhere, the Nets can have one other particular person who will help put factors on the scoreboard.
Dorian Finney-Smith will undoubtedly get begins and the possibility to show he’s a multifaceted expertise because the Nets dash towards the tip of the common season. He was dropped at Brooklyn for his defensive wit, but it surely may very well be his offensive ferocity that launches each him and the Nets towards a playoff berth.
