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Dallas Mavericks: Who is the mystery 5th starter?

By Adithya Prabakaran

DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 18: Dwight Powell #7 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts with Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks against the New Orleans Pelicans at American Airlines Center on March 18, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 18: Dwight Powell #7 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts with Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks against the New Orleans Pelicans at American Airlines Center on March 18, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 06: Dorian Finney-Smith #10 of the Dallas Mavericks looks on against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on March 06, 2019 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Dorian Finney-Smith, SF

“Dodo” as he’s informally called has been with the team for years. His hustle and defensive versatility are greatly valued by coach Rick Carlisle. While a great skill to have as a bench player, Finney-Smith’s offensive game was going to need development in order for him to crack consistent minutes on the starting lineup.

It seems the time has finally come! In 3 preseason games, the Florida alumnus averaged:

  • 19.1 minutes per game
  • 7.1 points per game
  • 42.9% 3 point shooting
  • 1.3 steals per game
  • 4.7 rebounds per game

It’s nice to see Finney-Smith play well in aspects of his game where he was already strong, but seeing his three point percentage go up in the limited time he’s played proves all the offseason hype videos amounted to some substance.

Finney-Smith was already one of the best defensive players on the team and with an improved offensive game, it makes him playable without the risk of losing a scoring threat on the floor.

If Finney-Smith were to garner serious starting minutes, the Mavericks would pose a serious height mismatch. With point guard Delon Wright being 6’5″, the Mavs would not have another player starting under that height. The length and and athleticism allow for seamless changes against screens and faster paced offenses.

Generally, Finney-Smith has played power forward for the Mavericks, however, if he moved into the starting lineup with Delon Wright, Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Kristaps Porzingis, he would most likely play small forward.

Ironically, the reason Finney-Smith makes sense coming off of the bench is because of his defense. The Mavericks bench has many capable scorers, however, very few are good defenders.

The Mavericks have an abundant amount of good offensive options off the bench in point guard JJ Barea, shooting guard Seth Curry, power forward Dwight Powell, and shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr, Finney-Smith would provide some important defense for a bench unit quietly lacking some. In addition with the relative inexperience of Isaiah Roby, Finney-Smith would be expected to carry a bigger part of the load on the defense.

So, is he the mystery man?

Probably not

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