Los Angeles Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith spent the early part of his career playing alongside Luka Dončić with the Dallas Mavericks.
After being traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Lakers earlier this year, he got the chance to be on the same team as another great playmaker in LeBron James.
With Dončić now in Los Angeles, Finney-Smith gets to play with two of the best passers in the NBA at the same time, and he’s been more than happy with his current situation. Per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, Finney-Smith said he’s been getting “butt-naked wide-open” shots thanks to Dončić and James.
James, who is fourth on the NBA’s all-time assists list, has averaged 7.4 assists per game throughout his career and is dishing out 8.8 assists per game this year. Dončić has averaged 8.2 assists per game for his career and is averaging 7.5 per game this year.
It’s rare to have two passers of such caliber on the same team at one time, and Finney-Smith and the Lakers should continue to benefit from it.
Dončić struggled in his first few games with Los Angeles, though he was shaking off the rust after missing more than a month of action due to a calf strain. On Saturday, his skills were on full display, as he had 32 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in a dominant win over the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers are hoping to use the pairing of Dončić and James to fuel a championship run. Saturday’s win indicated that Los Angeles could compete in the Finals.
In the meantime, Finney-Smith will continue to enjoy getting easy looks.
