Dallas Mavericks: Complete grades for the 2019 NBA offseason
By Phil Watson
Re-signing Dorian Finney-Smith
The Dallas Mavericks pulled Dorian Finney-Smith out of the undrafted ranks in 2016 and he’s been a solid part-time starter at the forward spots for them ever since, putting up the best numbers of his career last season.
One of three restricted free agents the Mavericks opted to bring back into the fold, Finney-Smith signed a three-year, $12 million deal, as general manager Donnie Nelson was tossing around long-term contracts in a big way this summer.
Finney-Smith started 26 games last season and appeared in 81 after being limited to 21 games in 2017-18 due to a bout of quadriceps tendinitis in his left leg.
He put up 7.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game last season, shooting career-highs of 43.2 percent overall and 31.1 percent on 3.1 3-point attempts per game.
Finney-Smith can finish around the rim, making 64.1 percent in the restricted area. It’s the rest of the floor where he can struggle, as he didn’t clear 35 percent from any other area of the court (29.8 percent from three to 10 feet, 33.3 percent from 10-16 feet and 34.8 percent from deep mid-range).
One troubling sign is that the Mavericks were 1.2 points better per 100 possessions with Finney-Smith off the floor last season after he posted a positive net rating in each of his first two seasons.
After playing mostly at the 3 last season, Finney-Smith figures to be shuffling more between the 3 and 4, but he could lose minutes to Justin Jackson if the youngster progresses.
The length of this deal is another head-scratcher, as Dallas seemed committed to keeping role players from a 33-win team locked up for the long haul.