At some point, without anyone noticing, Spencer Dinwiddie became one of the better backup PGs in the league. I admit, after his stint with Detroit ended, I thought he was done as an NBA player. Dudes who shoot way under 40 percent and then depart the team that drafted them are not usually long for the league. Credit to Brooklyn for believing in him, but more credit to DinDins for ascending from the murky depths of total scrubitude into the splendorously lit halls of solid role-player-ness.
If you look at the stats for him this year, they say he is still shooting well under 40 percent. And I guess that’s true. Stats don’t lie. But his 15 and 8 per 36, with a 5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, to along with his 42 percent three-point shooting more than make up for the fact that he can’t score inside the arc at all.
Tonight was another showcase of his improved three-ball: 6 bombs from downtown, including one from near midcourt to end the first half. I’d say I was getting Troy Daniels vibes from him, but I’m actually not, because I fully expect his shooting to come back to earth a little bit. Still, 25 points and 8 assists looks an awful lot like what D’Angelo Russell is doing this year, and his contract is frickin’ good. 1.5 million for him is looking like a steal.