Dorian Finney Smith Injury Status For Lakers vs Nets

Will the Los Angeles Lakers' highly-regarded new addition be available to suit up against the team that traded him away last month?

That's the question sure to be on the minds of both concerned L.A. fans and the Lakers themselves.

Per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times, Finney-Smith is considered doubtful to suit up for personal reasons. The 31-year-old vet is celebrating the birth of a child earlier this week.

Dorian Finney-Smith is doubtful against Brooklyn Friday night after the birth of a child earlier this week pic.twitter.com/uAIYpNAYOc
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) January 17, 2025

As Woike shares, All-NBA Los Angeles frontcourt standouts Anthony Davis and LeBron James have seen their statuses downgraded to merely probable ahead of the contest.

Davis is grappling with left plantar fasciitis and James is managing a lingering left foot injury.

As has been the case for months, bench big men Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood will wait at least another game to make their 2024-25 NBA season debuts, while second-year guard Jalen Hood-Schifino will join them on the bench with a strained left hamstring.

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L.A. likely won't sweat an absence for Finney-Smith or its two M.I.A. reserve big men against the tanking Nets.

After ditching Finney-Smith, fellow new Laker Shake Milton, and ex-Laker Dennis Schröder, Brooklyn has quickly, predictably collapsed as it jockeys for a top draft pick this summer.

On Wednesday, the Nets were dealt perhaps their most dismal loss of the season, a 126-67 embarrassment against the L.A. Clippers.

The game got out of hand quickly, and only one starter played more than 22 minutes. None scored more than eight points. Brooklyn shot just 30.1 percent from the floor in the effort.

Can the Lakers match or better their crosstown rivals in their sheer dominance over the Nets, with or without Finney-Smith?

I asked Dorian Finney-Smith about his early impressions of the Lakers and playing alongside LeBron James: “This is something I can share with my kids. I get to see greatness and witness greatness and play alongside greatness.” #Lakeshow pic.twitter.com/p5U2np1JIN
— LoJo Media (@LoJoMedia) January 4, 2025

While a blowout seems quite possible, another 49-point domination seems like it could be asking a lot.

If he does ultimately sit out, Finney-Smith is picking a good day to be with family.

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Across his six games with Los Angeles so far, the 6-foot-7 combo forward out of Florida is averaging 6.8 points on .438/.409/.800 shooting splits, 3.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 0.8 steals a night.

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