Inside The Nets

How Spencer Dinwiddie is stepping up as the Nets’ lead guard

The Nets have been struggling without point guards but Spencer Dinwiddie has stepped up.

Marin Gabric

© John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
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To start the season, Spencer Dinwiddie was tapped as the starting shooting guard because he fit well alongside Ben Simmons who will take care of distributing the ball.

However, Ben’s injury led to Spencer getting the role of primary playmaker even if he’s mostly seen as a score-first guard.

Lately, Dinwiddie has demonstrated his deserving recognition by excelling in both playmaking and maintaining his reputation as an excellent scorer. This has led to coach Jacque Vaughn and the Nets to enjoy a better record that’s over .500 now.

“He's taking advantage of his skill set. We have enough shooting on the floor the majority of the time when he's out there. Lanes are open for him to take advantage of getting to the paint,” Coach Jacque Vaughn said about Dinwiddie in his pre-game press conference before playing the Chicago Bulls. “We’ve said all along that he has the ability to do that for us, and the choice that he's making of getting downhill has had an extreme impact on how we're playing offensively.”

Spencer has been a superb playmaker recently

In the ongoing 2023/24 season, Dinwiddie has increased his average assists to 6.4 per game, a significant improvement from his previous 5.3 per game. Originally not slated as the lead guard, injuries to both Simmons and Dennis Smith Jr. opened the opportunity for the University of Colorado product to step up.

Over the last five games, he is averaging 8.6 assists per game, headlined by that overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks when the Nets guard had 12 assists. Spencer is doing this with all kinds of passes but the most notable ones have been his alley-oop link-ups with Nic Claxton.

A willingness to take the big shots

On the scoring side, beyond the aforementioned absences, Cameron Thomas, an impressive scorer averaging 26.9 points per game before his injury, also missed several games, creating a scoring vacuum seamlessly filled by Dinwiddie.

Willing to take crucial shots, Spencer Dinwiddie alleviates concerns for Coach Vaughn. Alongside Mikal Bridges, he revitalizes the offense during stagnant moments.

Spencer's recent spotlight is well-deserved, showcasing his stability as a valuable veteran for the Nets, even if he doesn't maintain his starting position upon everyone's return.

Mikal Bridges’ Thoughts on Cam Thomas’ Ability to Make Tough Shots

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Marin Gabric
MARIN GABRIC

Marin's love for writing developed in high school but was furthered in college when he took a number of creative writing courses. Doing sports writing felt like an extremely natural continuation, as it furthered his passions in both writing and basketball.  Marin loves the feeling of looking at stats after a game and analyzing what each team could've done better or what they excel in compared to the rest of the league. And the ability to do so for his favorite team, the Brooklyn Nets, is quite special in itself. 

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