Dorian Finney-Smith figured out years ago that his reputation as a 3-and-D guy would get him into the NBA.

As for sticking around for six continuously improving seasons?

“I knew if I wanted to stay in this league for a long time, I had to make shots,” Finney-Smith said Wednesday. “I knew defense could get me on the court. But offense would keep me out there.”

And it has. In a big way as he and the Mavericks get ready for their first-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz.

The 6-7 swingman just completed his sixth season by improving his scoring average and his 3-point percentage in all six seasons.

The list of players who have done increased scoring and long-ball percentage in any six seasons in NBA history?

Finney-Smith is the only one on it, per Elias Sports Bureau.

And, of course, he can laugh about the meaning behind that statistic, because it clearly suggests he wasn’t very good at shooting the basketball when he got to the NBA.

But he also worked at it – a lot. And changed his shot with Rick Carlisle and his staff working incessantly to redo Finney-Smith’s mechanics.

The payoff has been obvious. He went from a sub-30-percent 3-point shooter in his first two seasons to 39.4 percent last season and 39.5 percent this year. His scoring average jumped to 11 points per game this season, the first time he’s reached the double-figure plateau.

That he signed a new four-year, $55-million contract in February is proof of just how much value the Mavericks place on his services.

And when he thinks back to how he adjusted his shot, he knows the at-times painful process was worth it.

“A lot of work, being mentally strong,” he said. “I had to change my shot, so I had to stick with something that I wasn’t seeing immediate results. So, I would say it took a lot of mental toughness – and work.”

Plus, the shooting aspect became something that was even more evident four years ago when the Mavericks drafted some dude named Luka Dončić.

“It (shooting) is still a big part of the game,” Finney-Smith said. “And also, playing alongside Luka, I knew I had to make shots because he finds guys on the 3-point line because he creates so much chaos. But you got to be ready to shoot.”

Clearly, he’s been ready to fire at will.

Critical statistic: The Jazz are led by Donovan Mitchell at 25.9 points per game, but it might be Rudy Gobert that provides the toughest matchup for the Mavericks – and most other teams.

The 7-1 center averaged 15.6 points and 14.7 rebounds along with 2.1 blocked shots per game. He’s a rare center in the league in that he rebounds, blocks shots – and does not shoot 3-pointers.

He’ll be a load to keep off the offensive glass, where he pulled down nearly four second-chance opportunities per game. The Jazz are fourth in the league in second-chance points at nearly 15 per game.

The Mavericks don’t normally surrender a lot of second-chance points (13.2 per game), but Dončić, things would get tougher. If he has to miss any games with his strained left calf, that takes away the Mavericks’ best defensive rebounder (and overall rebounder).

“He dominates the glass. He hurts you,” coach Jason Kidd said. “We got to keep him off the glass because that gives them second opportunities at threes, also at dunks and putbacks. We have to make a conscious effort not to give up offensive rebounds to him.”

The Mavericks improved their rebounding as the season went along. But it will be a major challenge to gang-rebound against Gobert, particularly if Luka is out.

Seeing the potential: Kidd was asked if he thought when he took this job last summer whether the Mavericks could be a better defensive team and by how much they could improve.

They had been 20th in overall defensive rating in 2020-21.

“I just believed that defense was something we could improve on,” Kidd said. “I wasn’t looking to be in the top 10. Improvement – from 25th or 26th to being 23rd or 20th is improvement.”

But the move into the top 10 (6th at the end of the season) was more than he expected.

“This was a big jump,” he said. “These guys showed they could do it and they had fun doing it. Behind closed doors, they talk about playing defense.

It’s not the first time this has happened for Kidd. When he took over as coach of Milwaukee in 2014-15, the Bucks had been dead last in defensive rating the previous season.

In Kidd’s first season as coach, they improved to fourth overall.

Twitter: @ESefko

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