The Houston Rockets are looking to get back on track after a rough stretch of basketball through December. This month, they’re 4-6, ranking 23rd in defensive rating and 29th in turnover percentage. Houston is struggling to take care of the ball, but also can’t stop opponents at a high level like it was in the early portion of the season.
Tonight, the Rockets will take on the Los Angeles Lakers, who have had their fair share of December struggles as well. Los Angeles is 4-5 this month with Luka Doncic dealing with injury issues. The MVP candidate is probable for Christmas Day’s matchup with Houston.
On the Rockets’ end, they’ll have more help in the form of Dorian Finney-Smith, who will make his season debut tonight, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The veteran forward was acquired by Houston this offseason, signed using the mid-level exception.
Finney-Smith had been recovering from ankle surgery he received over the summer, and while he was originally supposed to return after the turn of the year, the news is a nice surprise.
According to Charania, the 32-year-old will be on a strict minutes restriction tonight, playing against his former team. He averaged 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game across 63 regular-season games for the Lakers and Brooklyn Nets last season.
Despite the surface-level numbers, the 6-foot-7 wing is regarded as one of the more versatile defenders in the NBA. Finney-Smith has been known to guard both point guards and centers, displaying good instincts and a physical presence from all areas of the floor.
On the offensive end, he has a limited role as a spot-up shooter, but Finney-Smith is still effective. He posted impressive 45-41-67 shooting splits last season, stepping up as a shooter alongside Doncic and LeBron James.
This season, Finney-Smith will play alongside Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun for the first time. The Rockets are still relatively young, but the influx of veterans is meant to take this team to the next level, providing a championship pedigree and poise in big moments. Last season, Houston’s youth showed in its first-round exit to the Golden State Warriors.
The Rockets will face somewhat of a banged-up Lakers squad on Christmas Day, with Rui Hachimura (groin) listed as probable alongside Doncic (leg). Jaxson Hayes (ankle) is ruled out, while Gabe Vincent (back) has remained sidelined since the middle of the month.