There is no player quite as polarizing as D’Angelo Russell.
While on the Los Angeles Lakers, Russell actually led the team in box plus-minus.
Yet, he also delivered some of his worst career performances as a Laker. Against the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 23, he shot a team-worst 22% from the field while logging just seven points in eighteen minutes. In his next game against the Phoenix Suns, he logged 16 points but posted a team-worst -23 box plus/minus.
To put it mildly, he was the bane of many Lakers fans’ existence.
That’s why many celebrated when he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets along with young prospect Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks for Dorian Finney-Smith.
Who is Dorian Finney-Smith?
Finney-Smith is known for his rags-to-riches story after he went undrafted in 2016.
Luckily, he joined the Mavericks Summer League team and impressed enough to earn himself a roster spot. He worked his way into the rotation and became a key piece of the deal that sent Kyrie Irving to Dallas.
Unfortunately for Finney-Smith, this meant being sent to the lowly Brooklyn Nets. Still, his two-way flexibility and spot-up shooting ability made him a trade target for many contending NBA teams. The Lakers swept in at the last minute and stole him from the Memphis Grizzlies.
Finney-Smith Elevates Los Angeles
Since joining the Purple and Gold, Finney-Smith has quickly become an impactful player.
While the box score may not always show it, he is an elite three-point threat that improves the Lakers’ spacing around LeBron and now Luka Doncic. Since joining the Lakers, Finney-Smith has had a cumulative box plus/minus of +122 while shooting an impressive 40.0% from beyond the arc. His true shooting percentage this season has reached a career-high 63.5% in LA. That’s just the offensive numbers.
Defensively, Finney-Smith has been impressive. Before the Luka trade, he was a member of the best defensive Lakers lineup, which allowed just 80 points per 100 possessions. Per Crafted NBA, he is in the 88% percentile as a rim protector and the 92% percentile in terms of defensive versatility/switchability.
As of Feb. 12, the Lakers had a +15.5 net rating with Finney-Smith on the court and a +18.3 net rating with Finney-Smith and Jarred Vanderbilt sharing the court together.
D’Angelo’s Volatility Continues
On the other side, D’Angelo Russell’s Brooklyn Nets run initially looked like a fun way for him to rekindle some early-career magic. His first game back showed how talented and skilled he can be. Russell dropped 22 points, two rebounds, eight assists, and three stocks against the Toronto Raptors.
However, as it has been frequent in his career, his Nets run has been up and down. There are games where he looks like a high-level contributor. His game against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 1 is a great example. Russell scored 18 points and dished three assists in a win against one of the best teams in the West. There are also games where he really hurts the team.
A perfect example of this came just four days after his strong performance against the Rockets. While playing the Washington Wizards, maybe the worst NBA team, he put up an absolute dud.
His defensive numbers have also stayed consistent with his career lows. CraftedNBA ranks him in the 28% percentile in the league in terms of defensive plus/minus. Great teams typically hunt him down the stretch. Even worse, against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 20, Russell injured his ankle. He had to be helped off of the court.
Winners and Losers
It takes many years to decide which organization wins a trade.
Some deals can initially look one-sided but change over time in the ever-changing NBA landscape. Nonetheless, the Los Angeles Lakers absolutely do not regret trading D’Angelo Russell for Dorian Finney-Smith. He will be a crucial piece in the Lakers’ deep playoff run this year.
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