Dorian Finney-Smith

Finney-Smith continues to be one of the better undrafted development stories in the NBA. After going unselected in the 2016 NBA Draft, he's been making steady improvement with Dallas each season. Last year was no exception, as he claimed his best per-game fantasy rank (117). His stats don't jump off the page, but he's been great as a three-and-D option, registering 2.2 threes and 1.6 combined steals-plus-blocks per game. Also, in his 33.1 minutes, he averaged 11.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists -- the points, assists, steals and threes all represented career marks. His 59.5 effective field-goal percentage ranked 11th in the NBA, fueled by a 47.1 percent mark from the field and 39.5 percent from deep. Fantasy managers should expect more of the same from Finney-Smith this season. Dallas is a relatively shallow roster, so despite the frontcourt addition of Christian Wood, Finney-Smith could still see 30 minutes per game. His role shouldn't change much. He's a catch-and-shoot player, and nearly all his baskets (88 percent) are assisted. That won't change with Luka Doncic running the show. Fantasy managers in standard leagues who need some bench production can turn to Finney-Smith at the end of drafts, but his upside remains extremely low. He's better suited for deeper leagues.

Finney-Smith's development has been slow and steady, with the forward increasing his fantasy value for a fourth straight season last year. He ranked 132nd on a per-game basis behind 9.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 combined steals-plus-blocks in 32.0 minutes. His shooting splits of 47/39/76 resulted in a career-best 60.9 true-shooting percentage. He's almost exclusively a spot-up three-point shooter on offense (80 percent of his overall baskets are assisted), but he has an impressive offensive rebounding rate (1.8 ORB per 36 minutes) for his position and role. Heading into 2021-22, Finney-Smith has some competition for minutes. Dallas added Reggie Bullock -- another 3-and-D wing -- during the offseason. Bullock has a longer track record as a three-point marksman and notably hit 2.5 triples per game at 41.0 percent last season. That said, whether Finney-Smith starts or comes off the bench, he should still see minutes in the upper-20s. Plus, he has hidden upside due to Kristaps Porzingis' injury history. Fantasy managers in standard leagues can safely avoid Finney-Smith, but managers in deep leagues can grab him with a very late pick to secure someone with a relatively high floor.

Finney-Smith started a total of 74 games in his first three seasons in the league but started 68 last season while averaging 29.9 minutes of run -- well above his previous career high of 24.5. Playing the most significant role of his career, it's no surprise that he set plenty of personal bests, including average points (9.5), rebounds (5.7), assists (1.6) and blocks (0.5). Most of those can be attributed primarily to his larger workload, though he also posted a career high in points on a per-minute basis. How he got to those points was the most encouraging aspect of his season, as he shot a strong 37.6 percent from beyond the arc on 4.3 attempts per game, up from 30.3 on 2.8 over his first three seasons. If those gains stick, he'll be a legitimate 3-and-D role player going forward rather than the offensively limited option he was earlier in his career.

Finney-Smith will return to the Mavericks on a three-year, $12 million deal. The third-year forward averaged a career-high 7.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists with Dallas last season, logging 24.5 minutes per night in 81 appearances. After playing just 21 games the year prior due to tendonitis, it was encouraging to see Finney-Smith play the entire season -- the second time in three years he played at least 81 games. He's an above-average defender but a poor shooter, limiting his upside to rebounding and defensive stats. Though his minutes have increased in each of the past two seasons, he's likely to see those minutes go in the opposite direction, playing a backup forward role. Kristaps Porzingis should be healthy, and Tim Hardaway and Justin Jackson will be back to take playing time from Finney-Smith. He's not worth drafting in standard formats.

After a promising rookie season, Finney-Smith dealt with tendinitis in his left knee, which ended up costing him all but 21 games in 2017-18. It was a disappointing development for a player that was hoping to earn a bigger role in the rotation. When Finney-Smith took the floor, he averaged 5.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 three-pointer across 21.3 minutes, all of which were fairly similar to a year prior. He did shoot just 29.9 percent from three-point land though, so no improvement was made after going 29.3 percent as a rookie. Looking forward to the upcoming campaign, the Mavericks added Luka Doncic with the third overall pick in the draft and he's likely to get big minutes on the wing right away. In addition, Dallas brings back the likes of Wesley Matthews and Harrison Barnes, so minutes are going to be hard to come by. When considering the crowded depth chart, as well as the fact that tendinitis can resurface at any point in time, Finney-Smith will likely be an avoidable option for Fantasy leagues.

An undrafted free agent out of Florida, Finney-Smith surprisingly earned a spot on the Mavericks' regular-season roster, playing in 81-of-82 games. He averaged a respectable 20.3 minutes per game, but he translates more as a defensive stopper than anything, which resulted in Finney-Smith averaging just 4.3 points and 2.7 rebounds. He struggled with his three-point shot, going just 29.3 percent from deep, so he's not considered a legit three-and-D option quite yet. Looking ahead to the 2017-18 campaign, Finney-Smith should operate as a reserve at both forward spots. He could struggle to match his average of 20.3 minutes per game, though even if he did, it wouldn't mean much considering he's more of a defensive specialist. For that reason, Finney-Smith likely isn't someone to consider in Fantasy drafts.

Finney-Smith went undrafted out of Florida in June before signing a partially guaranteed training camp deal with the Mavericks. He's the prototypical 3-and-D wing, as he packs elite athleticism and a near-seven-foot wingspan to go with a 6-foot-8 frame. As a senior, Finney-Smith averaged 14.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists, while shooting 43.6 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from the three-point line. Still, questions remain about his fit at the NBA level, even after a strong performance at the NBA Combine in May. He'll face an uphill battle to cracking the Mavs' final roster, but the team has a few open spots, and Finney-Smith's defensive abilities could confer him an advantage.