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Pacers Host Troy Williams, Cousins, Gbinije, McClellan, Wallace, Finney-Smith for Workouts

By Ryan Eggers

Mar 27, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; A view of the Indiana Pacers logo on the shorts of guard George Hill (3) in the game against the Houston Rockets at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Indiana Pacers beat the Houston Rockets by the score of 104-101. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; A view of the Indiana Pacers logo on the shorts of guard George Hill (3) in the game against the Houston Rockets at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Indiana Pacers beat the Houston Rockets by the score of 104-101. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dorian Finney-Smith
Mar 11, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Florida Gators forward Dorian Finney-Smith (10) battles for a loose ball during the first half of the SEC conference tournament against the Texas A&M Aggies at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /

Dorian Finney-Smith, Florida Forward

Year: Senior

Height: 6’8″

Weight: 213

Wingspan: 6’11.75″

Last Season Stats: 14.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.1 APG, 43.6 FG%, 36.6 3P%

Draft Stock: Late Second Round

Much like Cousins, we’re looking at a decent floor but low ceiling type of player in Finney-Smith, which is too bad, because the world needs a stat-stuffing player with the initials DFS to be rightly nicknamed “Daily Fantasy Sports”. He improved quite a bit throughout his college career, notably raising his FG% and FT% by over 10% each from freshman to senior year. While 14.7 PPG isn’t wowing anybody, he actually led the Florida Gators in scoring his senior year. The real number that pops out are the rebounds, where he snatched up over 8 a game.

Scratch that. The real number that pops out is his vertical- 38.5 inches standing and 41.5 inches max. His near 7-foot wingspan stands out as well. Point is, he’s got length and hops. Some of the best in the draft for a guy his size, in fact. Don’t believe me? See for yourself.

Alright, that should be enough. Notice how he starts from the perimeter in all of these slams. It’s no coincidence; Finney-Smith shot 36.6% from 3 his senior year. Opponents give him respect on the outside, and Finney-Smith shows them disrespect at the rim. Now, I know what everyone is now probably thinking: stretch-4, stretch-4, stretch-4. Finney-Smith himself said during the workout that he models his game after Draymond Green. On paper, he seems like a perfect fit for the role.

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The truth is, his athletic capabilities (outside of his long arms and high jump) are going to likely keep him away from ever being our starting stretch-4. If he had the freakish athletic talent that first rounders have, he could easily be a top pick in the draft. He doesn’t, however, which ends the wishful thinking. That doesn’t mean he can’t be a valuable role player off of the bench, though.

What he does have is character. Finney-Smith went through a transfer, 3 college coaches, and the witnessing of the murder of his brother in his young adult life. He’s gained discipline through those experiences. We’re talking about a probable bench player here, but it’s always nice to have good guys in the locker room. Read this if you want more evidence of the kind of guy he is.

Finney-Smith seems to also be on the rise in terms of draft stock, but Florida’s no-bid in the NCAA tournament has helped keep media buzz at bay. Luckily, Finney-Smith’s former Florida coach Billy Donovan has no draft picks for his Thunder in this year’s draft. With them out of the picture, Finney-Smith might just land in the Pacers’ hands late in the second round. It’s even projected to happen in this particular mock draft. For the price of the 50th overall pick, Finney-Smith could be a really great guy to have in the Pacers organization.

Next: Michael Gbinije, Syracuse Forward-Guard

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