As the playoffs approach, each game gains more significance in the standings for the Lakers.
On Monday, they faced the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets and earned a narrow 104-98 victory. These high-leverage games offer insights into which lineups head coach J.J. Redick trusts the most.
Small-ball units have become a cornerstone of the team’s identity, with Dorian Finney-Smith as a key component. Against Houston, Finney-Smith delivered his best offensive performance as a Laker, scoring a season-high 20 points with six 3-pointers, tying for the game-high honors with Gabe Vincent.
This was much needed as the Lakers’ leading trio of Austin Reaves, Luka Dončić, and James combined for only 48 points, well below their season averages.
Jaxson Hayes, the Lakers’ only center in the rotation, registered under three minutes of game time in the second half before being pulled. It was small ball the rest of the way.
The Rockets start All-Star center Alperen Sengun, who struggles defensively and feels uncomfortable defending alone on the perimeter. They employ a hedge-and-recover defensive strategy, aiming to engage the ball handler at the level of the screen while ensuring enough containment for the guard to recover.
A useful counter to this coverage is to have a pick-and-pop threat. In the clip below, Houston attempted to hide Sengun on Finney-Smith, who the Lakers immediately called into action as the screener.
Sengun slides alongside Dončić, who skillfully stretches the on-ball defense to the corner. He then executes a behind-the-back pass that creates an advantage and results in an open 3-point shot.
A similar situation occurs in the play shown below, with the high ball screen positioned at the top of the key. Dončić once more initiates the action, driving Sengun to the basket before the initial defender, Amen Thompson, has a chance to recover.
“I think teammates have a ton of confidence in him.” Redick said. “We as a coaching staff have a ton of confidence. He needs a gentle reminder sometimes to keep shooting, and particularly, look, the type of shots that he gets, whether that’s a corner three or a pick and pop versus a five, they’re open shots. We’re not going to get a better shot. He has to be willing to unload the clip every night.”
Taking Hayes off the floor removes a significant lob threat and rim presence for the team. The trade-off on offense is the shooting.
Finney-Smith is shooting 43% on his catch-and-shoot threes in the last ten games. His willingness to keep shooting will be vital to these lineups’ success.
None of this works, though, without defensive contributions from DFS, too. His versatility as a defensive five is as crucial as his shooting ability and he showed that Monday against Houston. Watch below as he transforms into a rim protector to defend against an attacking Jalen Green.
He makes another critical stop at the basket in the clip below against Fred VanVleet with just over four minutes remaining.
Finney-Smith finished with three blocks and two steals to add to his 20 points.
The Doncic trade will rightly dominate the headlines this year, but the decision to swap D’Angelo Russell for Finney-Smith has significantly impacted the Lakers’ identity.
Since his arrival, Finney-Smith has led the team in plus-minus and it’s not even close. He is a whopping +219 during his minutes with Reaves second on the team at +130.
His addition enabled Redick to fully embrace and play his preferred style: a five-out system with versatile, rangy defenders. Finney-Smith showed Monday why he’s integral to it’s success.
