With their sixth straight win on Sunday night, the Los Angeles Lakers moved up to second place in the Western Conference. With six weeks left in the regular season, the Lakers have an excellent chance to secure home-court advantage in the West and make a deep postseason run.
Most importantly, the Lakers have Luka Doncic and LeBron James healthy and playing well. After a slow start to his Lakers career, Doncic has played himself into form, and the Lakers look like a force to be reckoned with.
One of the most underrated contributors for the Lakers during this impressive stretch has been Dorian Finney-Smith. It is not a coincidence that the Lakers started to go on a run after Finney-Smith was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets at the end of December. Since DFS joined the team, the Lakers are 20-8, mosly on the back of their elite defense.
In fact, when Finney-Smith is on the floor, the Lakers are defending at a league-best level. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Lakers have a 106.5 defensive rating with DFS on the floor, better than Oklahoma City's league-leading 106.8. The Lakers outscore their opponents by a whopping 14.2 points per 100 possessions when the veteran forward is on the floor.
The three-and-D skillset that Finney-Smith brings is very valuable on this Lakers team lacking in two-way players. The 31-year-old can defend multiple positions and guard bigger players, providing valuable versatility for the Lakers.
As a result, the former Mavericks starter likely earned himself a long-term extension this summer. Finney-Smith has a player option for $15.3 million for next season, but it makes sense for both sides if he declines it and signs a multi-year contract. Having Finney-Smith on a three-year, $40 million type of deal instead could give the Lakers additional cap flexibility for next season while giving the veteran forward more guaranteed money going forward.