With Dorian Finney-Smith reportedly joining the Lakers, we already know JJ Redick is a fan of the forward based on his previous comments during his podcasting days.
With the Lakers reportedly trading D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, fans might wonder what coach JJ Redick thinks of the deal.
While Redick has yet to comment on the trade officially, his time as a podcaster has given us insight into his thoughts on DFS.
Back in 2022, he tweeted out his love for the forward and on Redick’s podcast “The Old Man And The Three,” he explained why Finney-Smith is an underrated player.
The one guy I just got to shout out cause I love watching him play, and I’ve played against him now for a few years and he does so many things that just don’t show up in a box score and that’s Dorian Finney-Smith. Or, as he’s affectionally known as Doe-Doe. Doe-Doe is just an awesome player. He’s a player that could fit on any team in the NBA. I think he’s incredibly valuable, great defender, hustles, makes all the plays.
JJ was always a fan of Dorian Finney-Smith. They were teammates briefly and DFS clearly made an impression on him. Talked about him a lot on the podcast. pic.twitter.com/3qbFyZVvSd
— Jason Gallagher (@jga41agher) December 29, 2024
With Redick having been an NBA player during this generation, he has an even stronger connection to current players than most coaches are capable of. He was teammates with DFS back in the 2020-21 season, his last as a player and he competed against him throughout his career.
Redick knows better than most how good the former Nets player turned Lakers forward is as a professional on and off the court and what he brings to the table.
Finney-Smith is considered to be a 3-and-D wing and is averaging 10.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. He is also shooting a career-high 44% from 3-point range.
Every team in the NBA covets this archetype and it’s one the Lakers have been searching for along with a backup big to further solidify the roster.
With the addition of DFS and Shake Milton, the Lakers have added more depth to their team which was reportedly one of their goals during this trade deadline.
Clearly, DFS is not a big, but he does add wing depth and it’s safe to assume Redick is a fan of Finney-Smith joining his roster of players.
Hopefully, under Redick’s tutelage, he can maximize his potential in Los Angeles and bring the Lakers one step closer to title contention.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.
