Rob Pelinka let Dorian Finney-Smith walk in free agency to join the Houston Rockets. The Los Angeles Lakers general manager immediately replaced him with Jake LaRavia. That instantly created an inescapable point of comparison for the new Lakers wing.
That much was reminded to everyone during a recent episode of Buha's Block. During the Q&A portion of the video, Jovan Buha was asked by one of his viewers whether LaRavia was an upgrade over Finney-Smith overall.
It was clear in that moment that DFS will always be the standard against which LaRavia will be measured. That feels somewhat unfair considering the young stage of the 23-year-old's career by comparison to a seasoned role player like Finney-Smith.
For his part, Buha said, "[LaRavia] is more skilled and versatile offensively. He's a better ball handler and a better creator and playmaker. He's a better offensive rebounder. ... We've seen what DFS can do when he shoots five, six, seven 3s per game. He's been an average to above average shooter."
Jake LaRavia may never escape comparisons to Dorian Finney-Smith
The Lakers reporter highlighted the shooting, because LaRavia has yet to prove himself as a high volume marksman. The percentages were elite in 2024-25, shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc. However, that came on 2.2 attempts per game from deep.
Buha eventually switched the conversation to the defensive end. Finney-Smith received the edge in most departments. LaRavia was described as having 'some things he could clean up on that end.'
There was also a reminder served about Finney-Smith being a plus/minus monster for the Lakers last season. The team was consistently better whenever the two-way wing entered the game.
LaRavia has shown signs of that ability too. His on/off numbers with the Memphis Grizzlies last season were extremely promising. That is hopefully something that can be redsicovered in Los Angeles.
The problem comes with the expectation. LaRavia is being given very little wiggle room to become his own player without finding himself on the impact scale set by Finney-Smith.
That is a tough situation to be put in considering how valuable of a role player the former Laker was. This is especially true because of the seamless fit Finney-Smith had with his friend and teammate, Luka Doncic.
LaRavia can certainly flourish into an reliable role player for the Lakers. However, it is important to remember how much growth is left to be had in his career every time a misstep is had. Unfortunately for him, the way in which he arrived may just cloud what would have otherwise been a natural process.