The most important attribute in the NBA is availability. Former Dallas Mavericks star Kristaps Porzingis did not have that. His partnership with Luka Doncic was supposed to form one of the league’s top duos, but it never quite panned out. For that reason, Dallas traded Porzingis to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. At first, the trade looked questionable for Dallas. Porzingis was seemingly the top player in the trade. In addition, Dinwiddie and Bertans’ contracts are not seen as ideal. What has happened thus far has been completely different, however. Dinwiddie is standing out as a fantastic option for the Mavericks.
Spencer Dinwiddie is Paying Off for the Dallas Mavericks
A Strong Past
Dinwiddie signed a big deal with the Wizards this past offseason due to his previous exploits. At first glance, it seemed well-deserved. It’s unfair to count the 2020-21 season for him as he only played three games due to injury. The season prior, with the Brooklyn Nets, was a great one.
In 2019-20, Dinwiddie averaged close to 21 points and seven assists per game. The season before that he averaged about 17 points and five assists per game. He showed progression in all facets of his game from scoring to shooting to playmaking. With Washington, Dinwiddie was supposed to form a strong backcourt with Bradley Beal. Instead, Dinwiddie struggled while Beal dealt with injury. At times the Wizards looked like they weren’t putting in maximum effort after a strong 10-3 start to the season. A string of several losses was also attributed to Dinwiddie’s poor play. Due to that, he became tradeable and wasn’t seen as an ideal asset. Many thought Dinwiddie’s injury history affected his play but he’s put that doubt to rest in Dallas thus far.
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Spencer Dinwiddie is Blooming in Dallas
In the snap of a finger, Dinwiddie has become his former self once again.
He struggled to some extent in his first two games with Dallas, but this was partly expected as he was thrust into a new system.
Dinwiddie performed very well in the Mavericks’ last loss (February 25) to Utah, dropping 20 points. The next game came versus the Golden State Warriors. He spearheaded an incredible fourth-quarter comeback win due to his 24 points and five assists. It became clear from there that the Mavericks have found their previously sought-after secondary ball handler.
The next two games were wins versus the Los Angeles Lakers and the Warriors once again. Dinwiddie dropped 14 points and dished out nine assists versus the Lakers while also scoring 17 points and supplying seven assists versus the Warriors.
The Mavericks’ offense used to struggle when Doncic was off the floor. This is no longer a worry with Dinwiddie around. The Mavericks’ latest game was an ideal example.
He received his first Dallas start after Doncic was ruled out a couple of hours before the game. Dallas struggled out of the gates but came back with a 114-113 victory. This, of course, was due in large part to the newly-acquired point guard’s 36 points and seven assists herculean effort.
Dallas made a wise choice trading for Dinwiddie. They lost size in the trade, but Dinwiddie is competing with Jalen Brunson for the title of the Mavericks’ number two option.
Main Image: Embed from Getty Images
