Inside The Nets

Spencer Dinwiddie's struggles prompt rotation change in Brooklyn Nets

Dinwiddie's rough stretch continues, and questions are now about to pile up regarding his future in Brooklyn.

Marin Gabric

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In light of their struggles and frustrating downslides, the Brooklyn Nets are truly bound to adapt to changes within their rotation. And on Monday night, it was Spencer Dinwiddie who got subjected to the team's needed adjustment.

Entering their home showcase against the Miami Heat, Spencer was averaging a lowly 9.0 points while shooting a woeful 33.1 percent shooting in Brooklyn’s last six games.

In the end, the veteran guard just stretched out his underwhelming presence by contributing a punchless three points in 16.7 percent shooting for 20 minutes in the 99-98 overtime loss.

Spencer out, DSJ in

As Dinwiddie coughed crucial inconsistencies, coach Jacque Vaughn leaned on his other point man, Dennis Smith Jr., off the bench.

For 32 minutes of play, DSJ finished with eight points, five boards, and five assists. Above these numbers, Vaughn picked Smith Jr.’s defense as a critical element in holding down Miami's perimeter scoring.

“I thought defensively Dennis was really good. We needed him to match up against [Tyler] Herro and also match up against [Jimmy] Butler,” Vaughn said. “It allowed us to be in the game. That’s just where we are as a team: is we’re gonna put guys out there who are gonna perform. And it’s gonna make tough decisions on me to finish the game, and that’s just a part of it.

“Hopefully, that encourages our guys to be ready to go at the beginning of the game and play four quarters.”

Spencer's struggles now pose questions about his future in Brooklyn

This season hasn't been truly kind for the 30-year-old as he is averaging 13.2 points in an inefficient 38.7 percent mark from the field.

With Dinwiddie struggling yet again, it is worth monitoring the next progress he'll make. Interestingly, he stands as one of the Nets’ considerable assets heading to the Feb. 8 trade deadline as his three-year, $54M deal will conclude at the end of this season.

As it is, his current season performances fully control how he can command his market value as an impending free agent. Depending on what he demonstrates in the next 12 games as well, these will dictate what unfolds in his shaky future in Brooklyn.

Brooklyn suffers a brutal 95-96 loss to the Miami Heat

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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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