The Los Angeles Lakers’ Real NBA MVP Is NOT LeBron James or Luka Doncic

The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off the shock of the NBA trade deadline by acquiring Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks… but even with him and LeBron James donning the same uniform, neither one of them is the real NBA MVP.

The most impactful Lakers player during their recent surge in NBA championship odds has been Dorian Finney-Smith, a man who just showed up on New Year’s Eve.

How is a bench player who never averaged more than 11 points per game in his NBA career the Lakers MVP? Prepare to have your mind blown.

Lakers Championship Odds Soar

Before we jump into Finney-Smith’s incredible season, let’s understand the basics of LeBron, Doncic, and the purple and gold.

The Lakers’ odds vaulted from +4000 to +1800 to win the NBA Finals shortly immediately after the Doncic trade news broke. They are +1900, the sixth-best in the league at the time of writing, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

They also catapulted to +900 to win the Western Conference and are +750 in the present, the third-best in the conference, according to FanDuel. 

Bet on the Lakers at FanDuel Here and Claim $150

LeBron has traditionally been at his best when he was surrounded by reliable three-point shooters with high IQs that would allow him to be a playmaker, make intelligent decisions, and convert their opportunities whenever they were dropped into their hands. 

Doncic, meanwhile, loves players who will sit in the corner and can switch across multiple positions on defense. He also loves rim-running big men who are lob threats and who will defend the rim vertically.

Finney-Smith played four-and-a-half seasons with Doncic in Dallas and has chemistry with him, and he’s 9-6 when sharing the court with James.

Now, let’s get into why he’s been the Lakers’ MVP.

Making an Impact

As a member of the Lakers, Finney-Smith averaged 6.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists on 48.7 percent shooting and 41.1 percent from three in 24.5 minutes per night. Pretty modest numbers at best, right?

Finney-Smith’s value lies beneath traditional numbers.

In his short time with the Lakers, his team was 14.7 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor than they were without him. That ranked in the 97th percentile compared to other wings.

The Lakers accomplished this by scoring 7.7 more points (92nd percentile) and allowing 7.0 fewer points (93rd percentile) per 100 possessions. 

Opposing teams’ effective field goal percentage also dropped 4.7 percent (97th percentile), while their three-point percentage dropped 5.5 points (97th percentile) with him on the floor. 

Meanwhile, the Lakers’ team corner-three-point percentage swelled 10 whole points (97th percentile) when he was on the floor. They also scored an extra 23.1 transition points per 100 possessions (91st percentile). 

The five-man lineup of LeBron, Finney-Smith, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Jaxson Hayes—the Lakers’ starting lineup the last two games—scored 122.6 points per 100 possessions with a +3.2 net rating. 

The sample size is very limited, but that would be the second-highest offensive rating in NBA history, trailing only last year’s Boston Celtics.

In Finney-Smith’s final four years with the Mavericks, or the time following Doncic’s rookie season, he posted an average net rating of +4.5.

That would’ve ranked third among all 30 NBA teams, behind only the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks. 

Future Outlook

With ball-dominant playmakers like LeBron and Doncic, another ball-needy shooter and slasher in Reaves, and a rim-running big man in Williams, there’s an obvious need for a selfless and efficient corner camper with defensive versatility.

The Lakers allowed 5.2 more points per 100 possessions (14th percentile) with LeBron on the court than they did without him, and Dallas shipped its ex-star out of town in part because of his lack of commitment to the defensive end.

Finney-Smith’s length, activity, and tenacity would allow him to paper over the gaps.

Hachimura would also be allowed to take a more comfortable role as a scorer off of the bench, remaining up with Hayes, Gabe Vincent, and Jarred Vanderbilt.

Although odds are not available for either of the Lakers’ upcoming games, FanDuel lists LA as a five-point home favorite against the new-look Mavericks on Feb. 25.