CURRENT EVENTS

Why is Dorian Finney-Smith not playing significant minutes for the Rockets in the playoffs?

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Finney-Smith is not playing significant minutes due to a major injury he suffered, which he has struggled to recover from and find his rhythm with.

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Recovery StatusComing off a major injury; missed first three months of season and made debut on Christmas
Performance in 2025-26Did not score in double figures in any of his 37 games played
Playoff UsageMade healthy scratch in Games 1 and 2; led Rockets bench with 11 minutes in Game 3, scoring zero points on 0-for-5 shooting
Finney-Smith's StatementAcknowledged it's been 'the most challenging' due to injury and not getting to train over the summer
Contract DetailsSigned to four-year, $52.7 million deal; only one guaranteed year remaining after 2026-27

Injury and Recovery Issues

Dorian Finney-Smith suffered a major injury that forced him to miss the first three months of the 2025-26 season. He made his season debut on Christmas against his former team, the Lakers. Finney-Smith acknowledged in an interview that the recovery has been particularly challenging because he had never been significantly injured before in his career and did not get to train during the offseason. He stated he has been trying to find his rhythm but struggled with shots being blocked repeatedly.

Poor Statistical Performance

Throughout the regular season, Finney-Smith failed to score in double figures in any of his 37 games played. In the playoffs against the Lakers, Rockets coach Ime Udoka made him a healthy scratch in both Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. In Game 3, Finney-Smith led the Rockets bench with 11 minutes but produced zero points on 0-for-5 shooting, including 0-for-4 from three-point range.

Missed Expectations

Finney-Smith was expected to be a major offseason acquisition for Houston, brought in to replace Dillon Brooks after Brooks was traded to Phoenix in the Kevin Durant deal. With the Lakers, he had averaged 39.8 percent from three-point range on 59.1 percent effective shooting and 59.8 percent true shooting, establishing him as a solid offensive contributor. Those numbers did not translate in Houston, indicating the injury recovery and adjustment period have significantly limited his effectiveness.

Contract Implications

The Rockets signed Finney-Smith to a four-year deal worth $52.7 million using their non-taxpayer mid-level exception. However, only the 2026-27 season is guaranteed on the contract. The team hopes he can become fully healthy and assimilated by next season, as his performance this year has been a disappointment relative to the investment.

Sources

  1. Letting Dorian Finney-Smith walk just got even sweeter for Lakers after absurd Game 3 (lakeshowlife.com)
  2. Dorian Finney-Smith Explains Challenging Year for Rockets (sports.yahoo.com)

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